Slapshot
by prettykittyartist
Summary: He comes in for the stale coffee and the girl behind the counter. She lives for the moments he walks though her doors. Can she snag herself a star? Can he handle being caught? HOCKEYWARD EXB
1. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER 1**

"Rosalie, I think I'm gonna take off early." I looked over at my boss, expecting the usual look of annoyance, but she surprised me with a smile.

"Go ahead, kid. Take off. You've been gone all day as it is. Besides—it's been slow. It's no problem."

I gave her a side-eye "What's that supposed to mean?"

She propped herself up on the counter and drummed her fingers on the tile. "Every time tall, dark, and handsome comes in, your brain goes kaput and you're in la-la land for the rest of the day

My cheeks burned with embarrassment. "Am I that obvious?"

She wasn't wrong. It was like the sky parted and the brightest burst of sunshine came through whenever he came in. I didn't think I was that transparent, but there wasn't any way I could keep my cool when I saw him.

"You seriously are. And days like today when he doesn't show up? You're even worse. I get it. I do. I may be all washed up and married, but you can't deny that man is nice on the eyes."

I unwrapped my apron and wadded it up in a ball. "It's not like I have a chance—I mean, I'm so not his type. He's not my usual type, either. But, I don't know. He's so damn pretty."

She rolled her eyes—something I was used to coming from her—and hopped down from the counter. "Shoo with you. I have work to do, since all my clerks are lazy."

It was my turn to give her an eyeroll of my own, but I followed her instructions and started toward the back to grab my things.

"See you bright and early tomorrow."

On Mondays, I usually volunteered at the animal shelter, but I wasn't in the mood. Usually, being around all that fur and fuzz put me in a great mood. Made me feel alive and happy. Today, I felt a bit off, so I went straight home and decided to board myself up in the house and mope.

If I wanted to admit it—and I didn't—I was a little bit wigged out about that guy, Edward. My daily eye-candy. It was pathetic that the only reason I knew his name was because I had to ask for it when he ordered. And honestly, after he told me the first time, it was engrained in my brain. But I asked him every single time, just so I could hear his voice.

Pah-thet-ic.

I'd never had a problem talking to guys before. I wasn't exactly the most gregarious girl on the planet, either, but he shook me up. When it came to him, I got so twisted up and tongue-tied. I blamed that on his blasted smile. It sent me into a tornado of emotions I couldn't even label. I was addicted to it.

Rosalie loved to tease me about him. And mostly, I let her. There wasn't much she wouldn't tease me about, honestly. And I liked that. I hadn't had someone close enough to me to tease me that way in a long time.

She'd tried to get me to go on a date with who she called my 'fan club' for months. There were a few of them who were pretty cute, and most of them had been nice, but I think Rosalie finally understood my crush on Edward. He mattered.

Had he not been my first customer on my very first day of work, maybe, just maybe, I wouldn't have been ruined for other men. They had no chance in hell now. He'd robbed me of any interest in the opposite sex.

I hadn't gone on a date in nine months. And sex, well, we hadn't been friends in almost a year. Self-love with his name whispered into a dark room was about as frisky as things got. Pathetic, but true. Saddest part was that it was more satisfying than actual sex had been in the past. Imagining his face, those eyes and his damn smile left me breathless and aroused.

I shook my head and laughed at myself as I grabbed my half-eaten carton of ice-cream from the freezer. If he had any idea about the things that went on in my perverted mind… holy hell! He'd probably run as fast as he could to register a restraining order on my crazy ass. I was gone for the guy, and the only thing I'd ever said to him involved coffee orders and have a nice day.

"Your life is officially the lamest thing ever." Talking to myself had become the norm, too. After my stray cat got sick of my weird conversations and ran away, it was all me, myself, and I alone with our obsession with Edward Cullen.

I was embarrassed to admit that I'd Googled him after overhearing my co-worker say he was a hockey player. It was a sad day at the Swan house when I pulled up page after page about him. He was a star, and not just a great player for the area, he was like a legit, big time sports star.

He didn't come off that way, though. He wasn't some cocky jock or anything. I'd seen interviews with other sports stars on TV and the internet and they all acted like their balls were 14K gold. He was quiet. Serious. Whenever someone asked him a question, he gave a thoughtful, intelligent answer. No smirks or winks from this guy. He took it all in stride.

Sports weren't my thing. At all. In fact, hockey was nowhere near my radar. I knew the basics—they played with a stick and the ball thingy was called a puck. I knew they played on ice and that was about the extent of my knowledge of hockey. Same went for baseball and football. Ball, bat, foot, ball. I didn't get it, gave up trying to figure it out when I was ten years old and my dad tried to force me to watch it on TV, and I never looked back.

That said, I found myself spending a lot of time wondering about Edward and what he did. What made him choose to be a hockey player? Was it his childhood dream? His passion? Did he live and breathe hockey, or was it a way to pay the bills and stay out of the rat race? Some days I made myself crazy wondering about him and what he thought about and did.

Over-thinking was kind of my specialty. If I could get paid to overthink and analyze things for a living, I'd have a much bigger television and a swankier couch. For sure. I'd always thought too much, read too much into everything. Anything I saw or heard I had to tear apart and figure out. I was too curious for my own good. My dad called me a dreamer. Everyone else thought I was a weirdo.

"He probably thinks I'm a weirdo, too," I muttered into the empty room. I popped my spoon in my mouth and savored the creamy sweetness. My life had become this huge joke. To say I felt pathetic was a serious understatement. He hadn't come in for weeks, and I had started losing hope of ever seeing him again. I mean, sure, if I wanted to, there were plenty of ways of stalking him, but I wasn't that far gone. No, I lived for my brief moments at work. When he'd walk in all scrubbed down and pretty, smelling like spicy soap and freaking sunshine. Wearing that damn V-neck t-shirt I loved—the one so worn out it had holes—and his sunglasses tucked into the collar, giving me a peek at the hair on his chest. And those jeans, the way they snuggled up around his ass like a prayer.

It was his smile, though. It made every part of my body quiver. When I say every part, I mean, every part. I lived for those days he'd walk into the shop, share his pretty smile, and then walk out the door with his black coffee, lemon muffin, and my heart.

***waves***

**So, long time no see, y'all.**

**I am sorry to those of you who were reading Slapshot and waited and waited for me to complete it.**

**I finally did it. I just hope you enjoy it.**

**xo -jami**


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2 CHARITY**

Rose snapped her fingers in front of me and I glared over at her. "What?"

"You're more dopey than ever. What's the deal?"

The deal? It was hardly a deal. It was a monumental breakdown waiting to happen. My man had been absent way too often for my liking and I was starting to get really tense. Like, infuriated.

"You know what? I'm over this job. The only reason I don't quit is because I get to see him and where the fuck is he? Cheating on me at some other coffee joint? He's probably over there at Starbucks. I should slash his tires."

The laugh that came out of Rosalie was so loud several patrons looked over at us like we were crazy. "You're a psycho. You know this, right?"

I shrugged. "I've been called worse."

"Girl, it's hockey season. For someone so in love with the guy, I'd think you'd know this. You need to step up your game."

"Pft." I grabbed one of the rags and started scrubbing the already clean counter. I was frustrated and Lord help my mentally insane ass, I missed him. "I hate sports. I turn it on and fall asleep within ten minutes. It's like watching the news. Bore. Bore. Boring."

She clucked her tongue and shook her head. "Listen, girl. You don't know what you're missing. I am obligated to sit and watch it with Emmett, but let me tell you, hockey is hot, and that boy of yours is a maniac. I get all… flustered watching him fight. He's really good."

Clenching my teeth, I scrubbed harder and tried to ignore her. "Like I can't imagine how hot he looks in those uniforms. Trust me—I've imagined it. Mostly I imagine what he looks like underneath that uniform, if you know what I'm sayin'."

She reached over, grabbed my rag and spun me around to face her. "What happens if you never talk to him? What if you just let him slip away? Can you live with that? Be the brave girl I know and ask him out or something. What could it hurt?"

I sputtered and laughed out loud. "Oh, let's see. I'll look like a giant loser, for one. If he was even remotely interested, he would've asked me out already."

She smirked. "He smiles at you."

I rolled my eyes at her and tried to escape. I was so not getting into this with her.

"He's polite. His mama raised a good boy. He's probably smiling at Bambi, or Becky, or Bubbles over at Starfucks right now. He's a smiler. It has little to nothing to do with me, Rosalie."

She snapped the rag, spanking me in the ass and making me yelp. "If I hadn't asked Emmett on a date, he'd still be living in the basement apartment at his mother's house and spending his Friday nights at the bar on the corner. Trust me—men are not as brave as we are. You have to be assertive. I have a good feeling about the two of you."

Well, that I had to laugh at. "You had a 'good feeling' about me working here, too, if I remember correctly. I'm a pretty shitty employee. I can't brew coffee, I'm late every day, and my attitude is deplorable. I have no respect for your 'feelings'. No offense."

"Whatever, all I'm saying is I know things, and you're a stubborn little shit. Be an idiot, I don't care. Your little wig-outs keep me entertained. And you're right. You're a shitty employee. Now, get to work before I fire you and throw you in the streets. Move!"

Rosalie's threats were about as serious as her smiley face cookies. She loved getting all maternal on me, but she was all bark. She loved me way too much to fire me or throw me on the streets. Yes, she was my boss and landlord. I was walking a very tight line, but I also knew she was all full of fluff and rainbows inside.

"Maybe he likes charity cases just like you do, ya old fool!"

"Fuck off, Isabella! Restock the damn cups and shut the fuck up!"

A crotchety old lady sitting near the counter looked up, aghast before picking up her stuff and leaving. I didn't give her a second thought. It wasn't the first time Rosalie drove a customer out with her potty mouth. She had a mouth like a trucker, but a heart like an angel.

I looked over at my co-worker, Angela, and wondered how she could be so happy all the time. She was sweet—almost too sweet.

"Angela," I yelled. "I'm going back to the storeroom to grab more cups. Can you cover up here?"

She smiled and agreed, of course, so I found my way into the back to hide out for a while. I only had an hour to go and then I could go home and mope and feel sorry for myself like a normal person. If I could avoid public contact until then, I was golden. I pulled out the cups and stripped them out of the plastic wrappers. Plopping down on the little stool, I dropped my head down and sighed.

I had to get a grip. The guy was consuming my thoughts. It was nearly unhealthy. It sucked to admit, but Rose was right. I had to shit or get off the pot.

"Bella," Rosalie shrieked, barging in the room like she owned the place. Which she did.

I jumped up from the stool and held up the sleeve of cups. "I'm getting the cups! I was just taking a quick break."

She shook her head, looked over her should and quickly slammed the door behind her. "No, he's here! Here's your chance!"

I scrambled backward, straightened out my shirt, and tightened the pony tail I had in my hair. "Holy shit! How do I look? I mean, am I dirty? Does my hair look okay?"

She laughed. "You look like hell, but who cares? He's here, and it's your chance!"

My hands shook, and I swear my knees buckled. "I'm not ready. I didn't even shower today. This is a disaster."

She wasn't having it. "Go. Right now, go out there. Be your charming self, put on a smile and ask that man out on a date. This is twenty-nineteen. Ask that man out."

I took a shuddered breath, squared my shoulders, and took a peek out the door. The sight that met me just about knocked me on my ass. I pulled the door shut, turned to face Rosalie and shook my head. "What the hell? What happened to him?"

She frowned. "What are you talking about? You're stalling. Just go."

I shook my head again. "His face! What. Is. That. On. His. Face?" "Oh, yeah, he grew a beard. I think it's kind of hot."

I threw my hands in the air and a hysterical sound flew out of my mouth. "He looks like a freaking hobo! Where is my smile! I can't see my smile under all that fur! How could he do this to me?"

She laughed. Laughed! "Calm down. You're being overdramatic as usual. He grew some facial hair. I hardly think he's trying to ruin your life, Bella. I think you've officially gone over the ledge."

I scowled at her. "I know, Rosalie. I've been trying to tell you this for weeks. This isn't normal. I'm obsessed. They should lock me up."

Her eyes got soft, and I knew she was about to hug me. "Bella, I only want the best for you. You have to stop putting yourself through this. Stop being so insecure. You're a beautiful girl. You're fun, smart, kind, and any man would be lucky to go out with you. You have to either ask him out, or just freaking get over it."

Easy for her to say. I took another peek at him through the crack of the door because I was a giant chicken. He was still there, which meant, it was time to take that shit, or throw that pot in a river.

I wasn't crazy about his new look, but it wasn't terrible, either. It was hard to see his lips, and that pissed me off. I really liked those lips. Angela had stepped up to the plate and was taking his order, and just as he always did with me, he smiled and thanked her, throwing a wink as he walked out the door. My heart sank.

Just like I thought. He was just a sweet, polite guy with amother who taught him manners. He hadn't been flirting with me at all. He was just a flirty fucker.

"He's flirting with Angela. Maybe she should ask him out."

Rosalie snorted. "I think I'll pass him a note with your phone number on it next time he comes in without you knowing. We might as well leave it to him since you have no balls."

"You wouldn't," I snapped, looking over my shoulder.

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Oh, but I would. You need to get laid, and you want him. I want you to be happy, and I'm just trying to help."

I watched him walk out the door—his coffee in one hand and the little brown bag with his muffin in the other. The chime over the door rang, and once he disappeared, I finally let myself breathe. Yes, I was obsessed with him, but it was more the unknown than anything. He was gorgeous, but he also seemed so nice. I wanted to sit and have a conversation with him. I wanted to know what made him love those muffins so much. I just wanted to know… stuff.

"Okay," I said. "Tomorrow. If he comes in tomorrow, I'll ask him out."

"Even if he still has a beard," Rosalie asked, looking smugger than she needed to.

"Yes. Beard and all."

"That's my girl."

I opened the door once the coast was clear and grabbed my purse from underneath the counter. "Well, I'm leaving early. I have a four-pack of wine coolers to drink, and a plot to plan. I'll see you guys in the morning."

Rosalie waved her fingers at me, standing in the doorway and smiling. "Have a good day, Bella Swan. Sleep well. You have a big day ahead of you tomorrow!"

**Thank you all SO freaking much for reading and for the love.**

**I'll be posting quick! Maybe not every day, but at the very least a few times a week. I've reworked a lot of this story as well as written the chapters I hadn't written, so it will be different than the original, but just tweaks here and there. (AND hopefully I've fixed all the typos fml)**

**Just love you all. So SO good to be back. **

**xo Jami **


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

"Hi, I'm Bella. Want to go out some time."

No matter how many ways I phrased it, it sounded like I was a desperate fangirl. Everyone knew Edward Cullen, star hockey player for the Seattle Twilight. I wanted to know the guy who ordered black coffee and lemon muffins. I wanted to know the guy behind the breathtaking smile.

I was taking Rosalie's advice. I was going to talk to him the next time he came in—no matter what. It'd been a week since he'd been in and flirted with Angela while I peeped him from the stock closet, and I could hardly stand it. I'd spent that time doing my homework on him.

Yes, I started watching hockey with Emmett. I'd sat through three games and listened as he explained how the game was played. All the stupid, confusing rules. He explained the beard. There was some superstitious thing about hockey players and playoffs and beards, but apparently, Mr. Cullen did the beard thing throughout the season.

Maybe his cheeks got cold out on the ice. I had no idea. He was hot in spite of the bear straddling his jaw, but it didn't make me any happier about it. I really, really liked his face, and that thing covered up too much pretty.

The day had been slow, which was both good and bad. Good because if he showed up I wouldn't look like crap, but bad because I had way too much time to stand around and think about him. And think about what I was going to say to him.

"I notice you like your coffee black. How'd you like some sugar with that coffee." I snorted at my own corny remark. God. I was losing my ever-loving mind.

"I'm Bella Swan, and I stare at you every day. Is it weird that I'm obsessed with you?" I smacked my forehead against the counter and groaned.

"It is a little weird."

I held my breath. Oh God.

I looked up slowly, and there he stood. Smiling. "I'd rather you use the first approach, though. The answer is yes. I'd love to go out with you."

My tongue swelled in my mouth, and I had the urge to bite down so it wouldn't disappear down my throat. That's what happened when you had a seizure, right? I was pretty sure I was having a seizure. "What?"

He chuckled and it was just beautiful. Just how I imagined it would be.

"I'm sorry, I thought you were talking to me, or about me. Jesus, this is awkward." He ran his hand over his beard and looked over his shoulder like he was looking for a quick escape.

I blinked several times, trying to make sense of what was going on. I couldn't believe he'd overheard me. I was mortified. On top of that, I'd embarrassed him. There was no way in hell this could get worse. As I stared at him petting his beard, the tips of his cute ears turning pink, and his eyes darting around looking at just about everything but me, I realized how dumb I'd been.

I was a straight up ass.

"I was!" I blurted out. "I mean, I was talking about you. I didn't know you were standing there. I was practicing. God. I'm going to jump off a bridge right now."

I turned to run into the backroom but stumbled back when I felt him tug on the strings of my apron.

"Hey, where are you going?"

I whimpered, biting my lip. I'd done and said some really stupid shit in my time, but this moment would go down in history as the stupidest of the stupid. He made me act and feel like a newborn deer, all gangly and wonky.

"Please," I begged. "I'm serious. I'm so embarrassed right now."

"Can you turn around? Please?"

I did, slowly. I couldn't look up at him, though. I just stared at my shoes. And his shoes. Nervous didn't even come close to what I felt.

"You're pretty adorable, Bella." I looked up at him then. That was not what I expected him to say after my verbal diarrhea. Adorable? Not even.

"How did you know my name?"

He smiled, wide and gorgeous, and leaned both hands on the counter so we were almost nose to nose. I held my breath, mesmerized. Even the beard was looking pretty amazing at that moment.

"Can I tell you a secret, Bella?" I nodded. He could tell me he was a serial killer and it'd be just fine with me.

"First of all, you introduced yourself three times while you were standing there trying to figure out how to ask me out."

"Oh," I answered numbly. I was hoping for some magical confession of true unbridled love, but that was the obvious answer.

"Yeah, oh," he went on. "And by the way, I do like sugar in my coffee, but you always get my order wrong." I ducked my head. Of course I did. I was too busy having mini orgasms to pay attention to his damn orders.

"You know what else, Bella?" This time, I looked him straight in the eye, unable to avoid it any longer.

"What?"

"I noticed you, too. You know why I come to this coffee shop where the counter girl screws up my order every single time?"

"For the lemon muffins?" I asked.

"No. Not the muffins. I hate lemon. I throw them out when I get down the street."

I raised an eyebrow, confused. "Then why do you order them all the time?"

He raised his hand and pushed my bangs out of my face before stepping back. "I don't."

"So why come here?"

He chuckled again and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Well, it sure isn't for the watered-down sugarless coffee, or the stale muffins."

"I heard that!" Rosalie yelled from the back room.

I should've known she was eavesdropping on me. The bitch.

"Is that your mom?" he asked.

I laughed so loud it was borderline obnoxious. "Oh my God, I love you!" As soon as the words flew out of my mouth, I was back to plotting my own death in the back of the shop. I threw my hand over my evil flapping lips, and my eyes bugged out of my head.

He raised an eyebrow and I could see the amusement in his eyes.

"I didn't mean it that way, I mean, well, it was funny because Rosalie's old. I don't love you, I mean, I like you, or I will, probably, but I don't know you yet, and God. I'm rambling. I'm sorry!"

"So, what time do you get off, Bella."

Well, that was a loaded question.

"At two." I answered.

"Are you busy tonight?"

"So soon? Now?" I sputtered. I pulled my bottom lip into my mouth and bit down.

I was surprised he wanted to go out now. Like, so soon. I hadn't expected him to ask me out right there, for the same day. It took me forever to get up the nerve to ask him out. I wasn't sure I was ready to go out with him already. I needed time to prepare.

He looked at me expectantly, waiting for an answer. It was a make or break moment at that point. I didn't want him think I wasn't interested just because he made me act like a dork. So I smiled. One of those eyelash batty ones. A flirty one.

"Actually, tonight is good. Great."

"Yeah?" he asked, smiling so big I could see his lips through that stupid beard.

I nodded. Yes and yes. Super yes.

"Will seven work for you?" Again, I nodded. Seven, six, five. Freaking now. I was going.

"Can I get your number? I'll call you before I leave and get directions."

I couldn't stop smiling. I'd done it. I had a date with Edward Cullen.

**THANK YOU so much for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4**

I was so nervous about the date I couldn't sit still. Never in my life had I wanted something so badly. In some ways, I was afraid my expectations were going to end up in a lot of disappointment. I did that to myself sometimes—put these huge ideas in my head only to end up let down afterward.

It was a little hard to believe he'd actually noticed me before. I had to admit, I was a little smug about stealing the attention of a guy like him. I could be self-deprecating, as Rosalie put it, and I hated those insecurities I had. I couldn't shake them for the life of me.

But I wasn't a troll by any means. I had pretty eyes, shiny hair, and straight teeth. My skin was clear, and I had a nice rack for a short girl. The boobs made up for my lack of ass, or so I'd been told. There was just something unbelievably spectacular about Edward, and I just felt dull next to his shiny.

He obviously felt otherwise because the smile he gave me and the way he let his eyes wander over me said it all. He was seeing plenty of shine on me, too. Again, me and my crazy perceptions. Regardless, I wanted to look my best for our date. I wanted a second chance at a first impression with him.

Because oh my God. I had made such an idiot of myself. I wasn't usually so spastic around people. Talking to new people came pretty easily, even when I rambled on like a goofball. But being around him sent my mind and body into a bunch of different directions and it was maddening.

In my head, I'd already fallen for the guy. That was the scariest part of all.

I spent a good part of the afternoon wondering where he'd take me on our date. Right off the bat, it wouldn't seem we'd have much in common. He was a jock, and I couldn't bounce a ball if my life depended on it. If he took me somewhere where we'd have to be active, I'd be so screwed.

I finally let that go and thought about the kissing. I really, really hoped we would do some kissing. I'd had my eyes on those lips for almost a year. He had nice lips for a man. Soft, but firm. Full, but not plump. I was nearly out of my mind thinking about the kissing.

My poor body was dying for some attention. Horny didn't cover it. I was desperate and not afraid to admit it. It'd been a long time since I'd been touched and being touched by hands belonging to Edward. It made me shudder thinking about it.

After pulling out everything I owned, I sat on the edge of my bed and sighed.

"Just be Bella. He asked you to go out after seeing you in that stupid coffee uniform. He's not going to care what you're wearing."

Impressing him had way more to do with me than it did my clothing. Plus, in my experience, guys really had no idea what girls had on most of the time, anyway. Most guys I dated were only concerned with getting me out of what I had on. Plus, he didn't seem that shallow. He usually dressed pretty casual—those damn torn t-shirts that gave me all the flutters, especially.

I gave myself a nod, hopped up, grabbed one of my go-to outfits, and that was that. Cute, date-worthy, totally me. Black jeans, low heal booties, and my favorite sweater. I was ready to go. I bopped around the house while I waited for him to arrive like I had ants in my pants. The anticipation was killing me. When the doorbell rang at ten minutes to seven, my heart took off like a launched missile.

"Holy shit. He's here."

I leaned my head against the door, and then looked out the peephole to get a good look at him before I let him in. There he was, handsome in a brown leather jacket, a t-shirt, and jeans. I sighed a little, glad I hadn't thrown on something stupid and inappropriate just to impress him. Just as I'd thought, he wasn't that way. The guy in the coffee shop was the guy on my doorstep and I was making him wait.

"Crap!"

"Bella," he said. "Are you going to open the door?"

"Oh, right. The door!" I said to myself. I undid the chain and unlocked the locks before pulling the door open. Holding my breath, I looked up at him and could feel my eyeballs fill with rainbows and hearts and stars.

Ridiculous. The little glimpse through the peephole gave me chills, but the whole package blew me away. Even the beard was growing on me.

"I brought you flowers." He smiled and pulled a bouquet out from behind his back, thrusting it toward me.

I let out a little giggle and nodded. "I see that. Thank you. So, this is like a real date?"

He scoffed. "As opposed to a fake one?"

Embarrassed, I lowered my eyes and took the flowers. I brought them to my nose and took a big whiff. They were wildflowers—colorful and fragrant and my favorite kind.

"I wasn't sure what this was. I mean, I was in rare form earlier. I didn't know if you just felt obligated to say yes because you caught me talking to myself. Or whatever."

He shoved both hands in his pockets and rocked on his heels. "I don't do anything I don't want to do, Bella. I've been trying to get up the nerve to ask you out for months. You beat me to it."

"Oh."

"So. Are we doing this?"

I looked up, eyes wide and wild. Nodding, I grabbed his hand and pulled him inside. "I want to put these in water, so they don't die. I kill everything, so I should at least give them a shot."

He laughed and stumbled in closing the door behind him. I could feel him giving my place the once-over and I tried to concentrate on finding a damn vase in my messy kitchen. My apartment was not what you'd call cute, or clean, or big. It wasn't any of those things. It was just a place to live.

I'd lucked out with cheap rent thanks to Rosalie and Emmett, but it was kind of a hole. It worked for me, but I did have a lot of stuff. I liked seeing my stuff out and around. It made me feel comforted and at home. I never got how some people could live so neat and clean and have everything put away. I'd acquired quite a bit of crap since I'd moved in. I just had this soft spot for things, and there were a lot of things that gave me that sweet sense of nostalgia.

Moving as often as I did as a kid, I had to leave a lot behind. I made up for it when I got my own apartment. I was able to control my own space, put knick-knacks up wherever I wanted to, decorate however I wanted, keep whatever I liked, and it wasn't anyone else's business. But I started feeling weird about him seeing it, and in turn, me.

What if my apartment creeped him out?

I shoved the flowers in one of the vases I'd salvaged from a ceramics class a few years back, and quickly went into the other room so I could get us the hell out of there.

"Okay, I'm ready!"

He turned slowly, smiling. "Your apartment's nice."

I rolled my eyes. It so wasn't nice. "Thanks. I know it's a mess. I didn't think you'd actually come inside, so I didn't clean up. Tomorrow's laundry day, so..." I pointed at the heap of clothes in the hallway and ducked my head. I was such a slob.

"No, I like it. I'm glad to see you like flowers." He nodded toward my failed attempt at floral arranging and smiled.

Again, I wanted to curl up in a ball. "Oh, uh. Those are from my floral arrangement classes. I was going to get rid of them."

Of course, he smiled. "You want to be a florist?"

I shook my head furiously and laughed under my breath. "I did, for a while, but it wasn't for me. It wasn't as fun as I thought it would be. I took my last class last week."

He hummed and looked around some more. "Well, I like them. They're nice."

No, he was being nice. They were pretty terrible. It'd taken me forever to make the horrid things and I couldn't bear to get rid of them just on principal. Not to mention, they were almost completely dead. I chewed on my fingernails, so unsure and nervous; I could've flown right out of my skin. I just wanted to escape. My apartment was starting to feel like a torture chamber.

He turned around and ran his hand over his hair. "I'm embarrassed to admit I don't really have anything planned. I figured I'd ask you what you'd like to do."

My heart started thumping like a bunny caught in a trap. I had no fucking idea what to do on a date. The last date I'd been on had been a total disaster. And it'd been a long time ago. The gears in my brain were working double and I really didn't want to mess it up.

"I'm good doing whatever. I'm easy."

His lips pulled up into a playful grin and I realized that once again I'd put my big fat foot in my mouth. "Not like that!" I snapped. "I mean, I'm not a prude either. I do have sex, but not all the time. We don't have to do that, or we can. Whatever."

His eyes bugged out of his head and he took two long strides across the room, grabbed my hand and kissed it. "I'm going to have fun with you, aren't I, Bella?"

**Thanks for reading!**

**I'm having so much fun revisiting these two. I'm glad you guys are too!**

**I have been out of the fic game a while, so if you have a rec for me to read, shoot it please!**

**I am reading Hades, A love story - sort of by FictionFreak95 and you should be reading this too. I'll let you in on a secret. I would dig through her trash to read her grocery lists. I love her words so much. Go Read!**

**More to come! **


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5**

* * *

We finally left my apartment and I couldn't have been more relieved. I was suffocating in there with him hovering around in my stuff.

"Have you eaten?"

I hadn't, so I shook my head. "No, I'm starving, though. I could eat."

He smiled wide and winked. "Perfect. Have you ever been to Howlers?"

"The bar?"

He shrugged. "They serve food, too. I used to eat there all the time in college. A friend of mine has a band. They're playing there tonight."

I twisted my lips and thought about it. It sounded great, honestly. A few beers would definitely take the edge off, and I needed to chill out quick-like. He was going to think I had some weird tick or something the way I acted when he was around.

"That sounds good."

He reached for my hand and I froze. He was going to hold my hand. In his. I wanted to simultaneously throw up and jump up and down.

"Let's walk. It'll give us some time to talk."

I liked that idea. As the minutes ticked away, I felt more and more comfortable with him. The crunchy, tight anxiety started slipping off my back and I was finally able to breathe. He was sweet and friendly, and for being the size of a small ox, he was very unassuming. My hand felt dinky in his, but I'd always felt that way with my dad, too. He had big hands, manly hands. They used to be scratchy on my palms when I was little, and I'd squirm and wiggle to make him let go of them.

The thought made me sad. It was always bittersweet thinking about him. With my dad, I'd always felt safe, and I had the same warm and fuzzy feeling with Edward and his big strong hands. If only I could go back in time and have good memories with my dad again. He laced our fingers and squeezed when I looked up and smiled at him, obviously happy that I was okay with the connection.

Honestly, I was ready to pretzel my entire body up with his—he had no idea—so hand holding was definitely on the OK list for me. Something else I was starting to realize was that he was a gentleman. This was again in the good news/bad news category. For one, it meant he was a catch and he wasn't going to take advantage of me. That was the double-edged sword, though. I was hoping for some advantage taking, and I had a feeling that wasn't going to go down on our first date. As disappointing as that was, it was also incentive to make sure things went well so I could get a second and third date.

Every now and then his arm would brush against mine, and I had a feeling he was doing it on purpose. He wasn't gangly and awkward enough to elbow me three times in the matter of half mile block, so I hid my smile and let him do it. While we walked, I let myself peek at him from the side. Being next to him was so much different than being on the other side of the counter. First of all, he was much taller. He was huge—massive. I could see his chest under his t-shirt and the size of his pecs made my mouth water.

I'd never gone out with a guy that was muscular before, so I was dying to get my grubby hands on his body. I hadn't been lying when I told Rosalie I imagined his naked form. I imagined it constantly. Every spare minute I had. He wore his jeans tight enough that I could see how strong his legs were, and the great form of his ass. His arms were right there in my face, poking out from beneath the sleeves of his form fitting t-shirts. Teasing me. Little bit here, little bit there. Once I got my chance, I was going to strip him bare and touch and feel and lick and kiss every damn inch.

I snorted, thinking about my mother. If she could've heard the things going on in my head, well, the bitch would've been proud. I'd never been so riveted by a man's physique before. She, on the other hand, was a professional man-hound. I guess I'd gotten some of her traits after all.

"What's so funny?" he asked, lowering his head and winking at me. God. The winking was too much.

"I was thinking about my mom, actually. She likes men."

He laughed, louder than I'd heard him laugh before. "And that's funny?"

I could feel the blood rush to my face. "It's sort of funny. She'd just like it that I was out on a date with you. That's all."

He didn't say anything in return, but when I looked up at him, he was smirking. "Pleased with yourself up there?"

He chuckled and swung our joined hands between us. "I take it she's a hockey fan?"

I rolled my eyes. "No, she's a man fan."

"Ah," he hummed, smiling wider. "Does she live close by?"

I huffed. "No, at the moment she lives in Florida with her current husband—a baseball player."

"Cool," he answered. "Are you from around here, Bella?"

Well, that was a story much longer than our walk would allow. I wasn't interested in getting into it so quickly, either. My family was a mess and it wasn't the kind of first date story I wanted to delve into. "Sort of, kind of, in a way. My dad lives here in Washington, in a town called Forks. I was born there, but my mom divorced him when I was three and we moved."

"Forks. Sounds like a small town."

I nodded. "It is. Super small and super damp. Boring."

"What brought you to Seattle, then? School?"

There again was a story I wasn't ready to share. I looked up at him again and his eyes were pleading. He wanted to know all the stuff I wondered about him. He wanted to know me. All the parts. The down and dirty. He was there in the moment, that very moment, and he was doing this for real. It made me want to crack open my chest and just spill it out. Would he want me after he had to look at that mess?

"Why don't we save that for later? I think I might need a shot or two to tell you that story."

He lifted our joined hands to his lips and kissed me. Kissed. Me. "We don't have to talk about anything you don't want to. I was just curious."

I blushed. "Thank you. It's not that I'm embarrassed, it's just a long story."

I felt like I was bringing things down, so I decided to turn things on him.

"Are you from here? Seattle?"

He noddeds as we veered to the left and took the corner toward the bar. It felt awfully strange walking around my neighborhood with him. Normal, but in a strange way. The funny thing was I'd imagined it so many times. Every time I'd pass the duck pond on the way to work I'd imagine us sitting by the small lake having a picnic on a Sunday afternoon. Or stopping at the deli I loved on a lazy Saturday.

"Yeah, born here and then my family moved to Chicago when I was eight. I decided to move out here and go to U-Dub with my cousin. When I graduated, I was recruited by Twilight, so I stuck around. The weather's better at least."

I scoffed. "The weather here sucks. Are you high?" I'd lived in pretty much every time zone in the United States, and Washington pretty much sucked as far as I was concerned. I hated the damn rain, hated having to wear hats and coats, and I really didn't like being cold.

"I'm an athlete," he huffed. "I don't get high. And have you ever been through a Midwest winter? The rain is mild here. I can handle it."

I wanted to go on and argue some more, but that was stupid so I bit my tongue and shrugged. When we got to the bar, he let go of my hand, unfortunately, and held the door open for me to step inside. It'd been awhile since I'd been there. It still looked the same; dark and drab with cheap decor, loud music, and even louder patrons. I was just relieved we were finally there so we could sit down and I could stare at him in peace.

"You want a table, or you want to sit at the bar?" I took a look at the bar, and it was packed, so I optioned for a table.

"Over here," He said, leading me toward a small booth in the back. I let him lead, mostly so I could check him out from the back. The view was just as I remembered—fabulous. It was basically chiseled into my head but seeing it from that angle was pretty great.

He let me climb in first and then settled in next to me, throwing his arm over the back of the seat and over my shoulders. The giddy girl inside of me giggled and swooned, and leaned into him with a sigh. Grabbing a menu from the middle of the table, he opened it and held it up in front of us.

"They have great Irish nachos here. I used to live on them."

"Those are my favorite!" I gasped, and then smiled. "The cheesy stuff they use is so good, even if it comes out of a can, it's the best!"

A waiter came to the table to take our order, and I quickly ordered a beer. "Whatever you have on tap."

Edward smiled, and gave me that wink again. "I like your style," he told me, and then turned to the kid taking our order. "I'll have the same. Thanks."

The kid just stood there, staring. Finally, he blurted it out. "You're Edward Cullen, aren't you? From the Washington Twilight?"

I was in awe. I shouldn't have been surprised that someone recognized him, especially in a sports bar, but seeing the gleam in that kid's eyes was something else. Edward took it in stride, and it was clear that he was used to the attention. I watched him talk to the kid, watched the way his face softened and his smile grew, and the way his eyes lit up talking about the game he played and so obviously loved.

The kid soaked it all up. In his eyes, Edward was a tried and true hero.

"Sorry about that," he said, kneading my shoulder. "I hope that didn't bother you. I should've told him to leave. That was rude."

I shifted in my seat so I was facing him and shook my head. "Not at all. You made his night, Edward. I think it's great that he got to meet you."

He raised an eyebrow. "Yeah?"

I nodded. "Yeah. You know. I know next to nothing about hockey, and honestly, my co-worker had to tell me who you were—that you were a player. Are you called a player?" I felt stupid all of a sudden, and tried to recall some of the stuff Emmett had taught me. I was already screwing up the lingo. I wanted him to feel like I was interested, and I was, in him. Just not hockey, pretty much.

"Yeah, I'm a player. I actually like that you don't know about hockey."

I wrinkled my nose. "Why? Emmett said you have to live and breathe hockey to play the way you do. Wouldn't it be better if we had something to talk about?"

He stiffened. "Emmett?"

"Yeah. He's trying to make me a hockey fan. He loves you."

He nodded slowly, his eyes intense. "Is he your friend? Brother maybe?"

"No, he's Rosalie's husband-my boss that you thought was my mom. She sort of is, if you think about it. They kind of adopted me."

He smiled then. "She seems nice."

Nodding, I started to pick at the napkin in front of me. "She is. They're both really great. I'm so lucky I found them."

He looked like he wanted to ask more, but was interrupted when the boy returned with our drinks. He grinned ear to ear as he put them down in front of us, and as soon as I grabbed mine, I lost it.

"Oh, hell no!" The kid looked at me, mouth wide open, shocked. "If I'd wanted head, I would've worn a skirt. Take this back and bring me another one-minus the ice cap. Thanks."

Edward barked out a laugh and the kid looked like he was ready to pee his pants. "God," I groaned. "I'm so sorry."

He patted my arm and laughed some more. "Don't worry about it. It's refreshing to hear someone speak their mind. It's cute."

I ducked my head, ashamed of my stupidity and embarrassed that I'd blurted that out in front of him. So much for my second first impression. He was going to think I was a lunatic.

I'll take it back, Bella. Sorry."

"How'd you know my name?" He pointed over his shoulder at the bar. I looked up, shocked at first, and then stood and peeked over the top of the booth to see the bartender. I narrowed my eyes and fell back in my seat. "Dumb ass," I grumbled.

Edward leaned down, his breath hot on my cheek, and whispered in my ear. "Do you come here often, Bella?"

I wanted to cross my arms over my chest and pout, but instead I answered. "No. I used to work here."

"In a sports bar?" I saw the way he looked around at the other workers, and knew where his mind was going. It was one of those bars. where the owner was a chauvinistic pig that used his power to make the girls wear shorty-shorts and tight tops to serve his own perverted needs.

The fucker. "I hated it. I only worked here for two weeks before I quit. The owner is a jerk-off."

The kid came back with a new glass of beer and I thanked him after apologizing profusely for my rudeness. It wasn't his fault Jake was a creep. Edward took a long swig of his beer and I watched in a trance the way his throat bobbed as he swallowed. There was nothing the man did that wasn't entirely sexy as hell. I was pretty sure he could end up with that cheese on his beard and I'd want to lick it off.

"How old are you, Bella?" he asked, setting his beer on the table and shifting in his seat.

Our knees touched and I could barely think straight. "I'm twenty-one. How about you?"

"Twenty-six." I cocked my head to the side.

"You seem older to me." He did seem older—more mature and put together. I felt like such a loser in comparison.

"I'm glad I'm here with you, Bella. I'm glad this happened."

I looked away and smiled. Once I got over the initial shock of him agreeing to go out with me, and the fact that I'd actually asked him, I was really glad I was there with him, too.

"Me too. I think I've dreamed about this night for months. In fact, I know I have."

He chuckled and ran his fingers over my cheek. His eyes got serious suddenly and the way the darkened and his brows dropped caught me off guard. "You know what I've dreamed about, Bella?"

I held my breath and shook my head.

"This." He leaned in and pressed his lips to mine, gently, softly. I was paralyzed, caught between wanting to sit tight and see what would happen, and climb in his lap like a circus monkey and hump him like crazy. What to do, what to do? His lips were so soft and sweet and he smelled like Irish Spring and Big Red gum. Just delicious and fresh and good.

My eyes fell closed and my mouth fell open, ready and eager for him to really get going and give me some tongue. I was disappointed, though. Too soon, he pulled away from me, leaving me with a soft peck at the corner of my lips. I opened my eyes slowly, slightly embarrassed that I was panting like a dog on a hot day after a teeny tiny kiss, but the soft, sweet look on his face wiped that all away.

"Sorry I've been such a pussy. I've wanted to do that since the first time I walked into your shop."

I blushed and pressed my fingers against my lips.

"I went to my car with my coffee and the wrong muffin and wondered what the hell happened. I sat there for a half hour, just thinking about you. It was your eyes, Bella. I couldn't get them out of my head."

I couldn't even believe him. At all. If I'd made such an impression on him, why hadn't he asked me out before?

"So I kept coming back. You'd hardly look at me, though, so I figured you weren't interested."

I scoffed. "Oh, I so was."

"I wish I'd known sooner. That kiss was worth the wait, though."

"It was?"

He nodded. "It was, and I won't wait so long to do it again."

* * *

**Thank you so much for reading! **

**I want to thank Farkaskris for sending me the PDF of this story so I could finish it. I appreciate it so much!**

**Love, Jami **


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER 6**

* * *

"Pass me the Doritos, would ya?"

Without letting my eyes leave the screen, I pushed the bag at Emmett so he'd leave me alone.

"Holy crap! That wasn't fair! Did you see that, Em? He totally jacked Edward's disk thingy."

"Puck."

"Fuck is right." I nodded, lifting my palm so he could give me a high-five.

"It's called a puck, Bella. Puh-uck."

"Who cares," I said, rolling my eyes. "Point is, Edward should call time-out and get it back!"

He laughed, loudly, and I scowled. "Don't make fun of me, Emmett. Only your wife thinks you're cute enough to get away with that. You're being a jerk."

My hockey lessons were officially over. Yeah, I'd started watching and paying attention to the games as a way of seeing Edward. It'd been six days since our date and he'd disappeared on me again. Ditched me for the freaking hockey. Not even one damn phone call from the guy. Trust me; I checked my phone thirty times an hour all day long.

"How long do these damn seasons last, anyway?"

"Months. Playoffs start soon. Don't rush it. I need my hockey."

I huffed, got off the couch, and went into the kitchen to see if Rosalie needed some help. She was making quite a spread for just the three of us, but she said she didn't mind, and God knew I was stoked to feast on it. I plopped down on the chair at the kitchen table and grabbed one of the meatballs from the plate in front of me.

"Still haven't heard from him, sweetie?"

I looked up at her and raised an eyebrow. "I will punch you in the face if you bring it up again. No. Still no. He doesn't like me. I'm screwed. Poor me."

She set the pan of pigs in a blanket on the stove top, took off the oven mitts, and turned to face me. "Listen, Bella. He's got a lot going on. I'm sure it isn't because doesn't like you. You said you guys had a good time on your date, didn't you?"

"Yes, I had fun. It was amazing. But it obviously didn't mean much to him, right?"

"He kissed you," she said, waggling her eyebrows.

That time, I did roll my eyes. "Yeah, he kissed me like my Uncle Sal kisses me. On my cheek!"

Her eyes got soft like they did when she felt sorry for me. I hated it and loved it. No one ever cared about me like Rosalie did.

"Look—I think he was taking it easy. There are good guys out there, Bella. He seems like a very nice guy."

"He is a nice guy, but I just don't think he's into me. If he was interested in me that way—the way I'm interested in him he would have given me some tongue. I'm just not his type, Rose."

She sat down next to me and leaned forward. It was her way of getting serious. I knew that much. "What's his type? It was your first date, little one. You've obviously never been on a real date. That's how they go down. You get to know each other, put your feelers out, and get a read on each other. Not every date ends in the sack. That's just not the way it is in reality."

I narrowed my eyes at her. "So, Emmett gave you a kiss on the cheek and sent you on your way on your first date? That's how it went down?"

She looked surprised and looked down. I could see her blush and knew she was full of shit. "Well, no, but…"

"Yeah, bullshit. He kissed you, like a real man kisses a real girl he wants. Edward didn't want me. I was a pity date—plain and simple."

"Shut up in there, Bella!" Emmett yelled. "You need to chill the fuck out."

I picked up a meatball and threw it at the back of his head. "Leave us alone. I pretty much hate men, and you technically fit into that category."

"Bella," Rosalie started. I shut her right down.

"Don't even, Rose. Emmett kissed you and you lived happily ever after. You've been married for a hundred years, you're trying to have a baby, you have a beautiful house, and you have it all. He didn't see that in me. He saw a pathetic loser, desperate for a date. I'm fine now. I'll get over it. I can tell my grand kids that I once had a date with champion hockey player Edward Cullen—that is if I ever get laid and have some kids."

She laughed. "Oh, honey."

I sighed and laid my head on the table. "I really like him, Rose. A lot. It's almost worse that I got an actual date with him. Now it's so much more. He's more now. He's not just Mr. Hunky guy that comes in and smiles and shit. He's this genuinely fantastic guy, with so much going for him and he smells like a rainforest and a candy store and he's he's got these green fucking eyes. I'm so screwed—it's not even funny."

Emmett walked in, reached over, grabbed a pig in a blanket, and squeezed my shoulder. "Look, kid. If he wasn't interested, he would have blown you off. He didn't take you to a movie because he wanted to talk to you. He's interested in getting to know you. Trust me. Plus, you're a babe. He's aware of the goods, he's just taking his time. You need to relax, or you'll chase him off. You're a lot to handle, Swan. A whole fucking lot of crazy."

I turned around and looked at him over my shoulder. "Too crazy, Emmett?"

He leaned down and kissed the top of my head and laughed. "For me, hell yeah. I'd have run in the other direction when I caught you talking to yourself. He must be up for the challenge. They play home twice this week—if he doesn't call in a couple days, he bounced your ass. Until then, you need to just stop beating yourself up."

I dropped my head again. I felt like the dramatics were making me feel better. I really wanted to throw myself on the floor and cry and beat the carpet to death. Why did he have to walk into that crappy coffee shop and ruin my life?

"Come on. Come sit with me and watch the game while the little woman finishes up our snacks. You need to watch this man in action."

Rosalie rolled her eyes and went back to the oven. "I think you have a bigger crush on him than she does, Emmett."

He winked at me and whispered in my ear. "I kind of do."

****Slapshot****

The Twilight won, and shortly after the game was over, I headed home. Rosalie packed several containers to take home with me, as usual, but I was in no mood to eat. I'd overexerted myself thinking about Edward and why he hadn't called me. I totally understood he was busy with games and whatever, but he had to have time to at least send me a text or something.

When he dropped me off after our date, he gave me another peck on the cheek and told me he'd like to see me again. I'd gone to bed all dreamy and hopeful, only to have all those dreams and hopes shattered each day that passed by with no word from him. My frame of mind was sour. I wanted to cry when I got home to my quiet little apartment. I was lonely and admitting that to myself was hard.

Thinking about Edward and how much fun I'd had with him made it even worse. I craved his company. It was weird to feel so connected to someone I'd just met, but I felt like there was something so special about him, something I'd never experienced before. I wanted more of it. I wanted more of him.

I was getting to a point where my head was playing nasty games with me. It was getting into a really dark and depressive place, and as miserable as I was, it wasn't a place I wanted to be. I decided bed was the best place for me to be. I had to shut my brain down and just unwind a little bit before I made myself sick. I stripped down, threw on my pajamas, and climbed in bed, pulling the blanket tight over my head to ward off the negativity.

I'd barely started to doze off after hours of tossing and turning when my phone vibrated next to my pillow. I reached over and grabbed it, crusty and cranky from sleep, and slid my finger over the screen to read my message.

_**I wanted to say hi. When can I see you again? E **_

I blinked away the sleep and sat up, my breath zapped from my lungs as I read it over and over again. I rubbed my thumb over the words, imagining him on the other side of the screen, other side of the country, and thinking about me. Quickly, I tapped in my response.

_**Right now is good for me. B **_

I was sure he wouldn't expect some bullshit passive-aggressive phony answer from me. He'd said he liked how impulsive I was and that I spoke my mind, so I had no regrets. I did want him right then. I wanted to see him badly. His response was just as quick.

_**I wish I could. I will be back in WA tomorrow. I'll call when I get home. E**_

My heart sort of plummeted. Having to wait a day was far better than the week I'd already waited, but it still kind of broke my heart.

_**Sweet dreams, Bella. E**_

I held the phone against my heart and felt my eyes well up with tears. He was really and truly perfect. I was willing to do whatever it took to make things work out with him. I wanted it, but I needed it more. I knew deep down that Edward Cullen was going to be the one to help my poor tired heart beat again. The fact that it was thundering inside my chest was proof. It was already happening.

* * *

**Thanks so much for reading!**

**And thank you so much for the reviews! You guys are so rad. I appreciate every one of them.**

**I'll see you tomorrow!**

**XO, Jami **


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER 7 **

* * *

After I received the text from Edward, I couldn't sleep. I was all twisted up and excited, so instead, I cleaned my house. From floor to ceiling, I scoured the apartment. I didn't like the way it felt when he stood in the middle of my stinky laundry and day-old dishes. He was this incredibly successful man, and I wanted him to see me as a half-decent counterpart, and not some flaky, overgrown teenager.

He probably had a great apartment, or likely a freaking house. Clean and tidy and neat. He seemed like he'd be neat. All put together somehow. I don't know why I felt that way, but as clean as he smelled, he had to be. I'd never smelled a more pleasant man in my life, and I really wanted to sneak into his house and take his soap so I could smell like him all the time.

I shook my head and growled at myself as I walked down the stairs to the laundry room. "Cray-zee. You're a fucking fruitcake!"

Thankfully, he couldn't hear the things I thought about. He'd run, for sure. All my life I'd wanted things I couldn't have, so I couldn't help but feel nervous about what was going to happen. He had his shit together. He was a professional hockey player, and God only knew what else he did. He'd gone to college, so that intrigued me, too. Of course, I'd been too batty on the date to ask what he majored in, but I made a mental note to ask him when I saw him again.

Then there was me. I failed at pretty much everything I tried. I had no idea what I wanted out of life, at all. All I wanted was to be happy, do something meaningful, and be a good person. Most of the time I was happy, and Edward was bringing all kinds of joy into my world but working for Rosalie was an empty promise at the end of a long, disappointing road. And I wasn't sure what the hell to do to turn the corner. I was stuck. I was lost.

It took me well into the early morning to finish up my apartment, but it was so satisfying having it so clean and pretty. Even my dilapidated couch looked cozy with my grandma's afghan covering the worn cushions. I could finally feel proud having him there instead of wanting the earth to swallow me up when he was around.

I finally fell into bed around five in the morning, and I knew I was going to have a rough day at work with no sleep. It'd been worth it, though. I was refreshed and motivated and that was something I hadn't felt in a long time.

****Slapshot****

I basically loaded up on Red Bull to get me through my workday the next day. Rosalie sent me home early to get some rest, and I was grateful. I didn't deserve her kindness most of the time. I knew I was a brat, and I was selfish. I think she knew I was trying to change, though, and she wanted to support me. As usual.

I was all around off my game all day. The lack of sleep, and the anxiety over waiting on Edward's call had me all knotted up and confused. I watched television, ate my weight in junk food, and waited for a word from him. It finally came around five in the evening, and I couldn't even describe the disappointment when he told me he had a layover in Dallas due to a storm. He didn't expect to get back into Washington State until the next morning, so I curled up in bed and gave up.

Sometime later, I have no idea what time, I heard a rapid thumping in my apartment. I jolted up, scared and a little bewildered. My apartment building was always quiet—I only had two other neighbors, so loud thuds in the night were sort of out of the norm. I grabbed my baseball bat from behind my door, slid on my slippers, and crept through the hallway to the front door. I was shaking by the time I got there, and as quietly and carefully as I could, I stood on my toes and peeked out the hole to see what the killer looked like. My breath hitched and my heart stopped when I saw Edward standing on the other side.

I pulled the chain, unlocked the locks, and threw the door open, shocked and excited and too flustered to say one damn thing. I had no idea if I was dreaming or if he was real, but either way, it was so wonderful to see him.

"Bella."

He looked at me with eyes so tired and worn. My name fell from his lips with a sigh, and in that moment I didn't care one way or another. Dream or real, he was there. I dropped the bat, ignoring the loud clang as it hit the floor, and lunged at him, throwing myself into his arms. He caught me, lifted me up and wrapped his arms around me. He buried his head in my neck and rocked me back and forth, his hands holding me sturdy against him.

"I'm sorry it's so late. I'm so sorry I came here, but I couldn't wait until tomorrow to see you again."

I laced my arms around his neck and hugged him just as tightly. I had no freaking idea what was going on, but the intensity was something I'd never experienced. I'd missed him more than I'd even realized. It was like a piece of me had been missing, and I'd finally reconnected. It was a moment I wanted to rip apart and figure out, but my brain just didn't have the guts to do it.

"I'm glad. I'm so glad you came." The tremor in my voice was impossible to hide. I didn't want to. It wasn't like me to pretend, and I got the feeling he was sick of holding back.

"What is this?" His voice was so soft that if I hadn't been so in tune to him in that moment, I wouldn't have heard it.

"I don't know."

We stood there for a long moment, me clinging to him like my life depended on it, and him holding me like he couldn't stop. Finally, he pulled his face away from my neck and leaned back, smiling at me like I was the best surprise ever.

"I missed you, girl."

I giggled. "I didn't think you did. You didn't call."

I gave him a little pout to push my guilt trip on him. I had no shame. He'd made me feel sad and pathetic all week. Coming to see me in the middle of the night was a great start, but I wanted to know why he kept me on the hook all damn week. He let me slide down, and I wanted to pout again. I liked being held by him, a lot. He was strong and hard all over, and even though his soapy smell was faint, he still smelled so good.

"I should've called you, Bella. I just couldn't." He turned, running his hand through his hair and cursed under his breath.

I wasn't sure I wanted to hear the rest of his speech the way he was acting. "It's okay," I said, trying to let him off the hook.

He turned, quickly, his eyes full of fire and wide as saucers. "It's not okay, Bella. It was rude, but I couldn't get you off my mind, and I had to. I had to concentrate on the games, and if I would've stopped once, dropped my focus once, I would've blown it."

To say I was shocked was an understatement. He'd thought about me that much? It was unbelievable.

"I'm sorry?" I said hesitantly. I wasn't sure what to do. I was glad he thought about me and missed me, but I had a feeling he was telling me it was a bad thing. I was a distraction.

He stepped toward me, his eyes dark and his lips set. He looked determined, intense. I'd never seen him look so hot, and my body lit up like a flaming tree.

"I want to kiss you," he said.

I nodded and watched his hand as he reached down to touch my cheek. "Really kiss me. Please," I begged.

I didn't think I could take it if I got another brotherly peck on the cheek. He moved in without another word, his lips hot and soft on mine. With one hand wrapped around the back of my head, and one on my cheek, he kissed the breath out of me, leaving me light on my feet and weak in the knees. It was one of those kisses you read about, one of those you watched in movies and hoped you'd get one day. My one day was happening, and it was nothing like I'd ever imagined. It was better. So much better. He kissed slow and smooth, his tongue just enough to tease and drive me wild.

Pulling away, breathing heavily, he chuckled and rubbed his thumb over my cheek. His eyes twinkled, and my heart stuttered.

"This is much faster than I wanted this to go, Bella, but I can't help it."

I looked up at him and smiled. "I've wanted you to kiss me like that for a long time. Glad you finally caught up."

* * *

**Hi again**

**Again, thanks so much for reading!**

**Love, Jami **


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER 8**

* * *

Unfortunately, Edward didn't accept my invitation to stay the night. A girl had to try, though. I mean, I was drunk on him and his lips. I couldn't help being greedy for his attention and time. And kisses. He kissed me stupid in the hallway, promised he'd pick me up after work, and walked away leaving me aching for more, and completely love stunned.

I had to stop myself from skipping on my way to work. The birds were chirpier, the trees were greener, and the faces were friendlier as I made my way down the street. I probably looked like the biggest goof ever, but I had a permanent smile. I was mad, crazy, stupid in love with a beautiful boy, and he kissed me. If that wasn't a reason for happiness, well, then I didn't know what was.

The bells clanged as I entered the store, and the surprised look on Rosalie's face made me laugh. "What's going on? Did you burn my apartment building down? Why are you here so early?"

I lifted my wrist, glancing at my bare spot and smiled. "If I had a watch, I do believe it'd say I was right on time, boss lady."

She cocked her hip and raised an eyebrow. "Spill it, sister. You haven't been on time once since I hired you. What gives?"

I walked past her, smiling like an idiot, and put my purse away under the counter. "I had an early morning visitor and I couldn't go back to sleep. So here I am."

Her lips fell open with shock and I laughed out loud. "He came to me."

"Shut up! Bella, that's fantastic! I told you not to worry! What'd he say?"

I wiggled my eyebrows. "He kissed me stupid and said he thinks about me all the time. It was probably the most romantic thing ever in history. Ever."

She covered her mouth and her eyes teared up. "Ahhh, he just had to be perfect, didn't he?"

The door behind us slammed and we both turned to see what was going on. Staring at the door, I shook my head. "Was that Angela?"

Rosalie shrugged. "Who gives a shit? Come on. Tell me all about it."

I leaned my elbows on the counter and sighed. "He said he was so smitten with me, he was just all jumbled up and couldn't throw the puck. I'm just so friggin' gorgeous, he couldn't think straight."

She groaned. "Stop being a smart ass. Is he a good kisser?"

I gave her an incredulous look. "Look at him! Of course he was. Every single inch of me felt it. Every. Inch."

She grabbed at her heart and giggled. "I knew it! So, when are you going to see him again?"

I kicked my legs up behind me and let out a giggle. "Today after work. He has two days until he has to play again and he said he wants to spend as much time with me as possible. Can you believe it? I think Edward Cullen is my boyfriend! I want to make t-shirts so everyone on the planet knows it!"

There was slamming going on in the kitchen, and as hard as I tried, I couldn't ignore it. "Hey, Angela, are you okay back there?"

Eric, our busboy, came up to the counter and gave me a sad smile. "She has a crush on Edward. She thought he was into her. She gave him her phone number a few weeks ago. She's a little butt-hurt. She'll get over it."

Instead of feeling bad, I was angry. It was a well-known secret around here that Edward was my freaking secret soulmate, and just the fact that she'd gone behind my back and tried to swoop him up made me furious.

"What a secret keeping little tramp. She was totally going to gank him out from under me. Rose—fire her ass."

Rosalie sighed and shook her head. "I'm not firing her for having a crush on the same boy as you, Bella. Get a grip. She'll get over it. You girls need to act like adults. This isn't high school, this is a business. Keep your head—I mean it."

I gnashed my teeth. "Fine. If she so much as looks at him crooked, I'm shoving biscotti's up her ass. Know that."

She gave me the evil eye and I knew I was pressing my luck with her, but I was pissed. Who did Angela think she was?

I managed to ignore the little traitor hoe for the rest of the day, and kept as busy as possible to make the day go by faster. Two o'clock may as well been midnight to me. It still felt like the first date all over again, and I wondered if it'd always be that way with him. I sure hoped so.

When he walked through the door at one thirty, I had to admit I was relieved. Seeing him was always wonderful, but I was so amped up and excited that I wasn't sure I would've lasted another minute without that smile.

"Hey," he said softly, walking around the edge of the corner and crooking his finger. My feet practically spun in place as I scampered toward him.

"Hey."

He looked around before leaning down to lay a small kiss at the corner of my mouth, and my heart went pitter-pat. These little things he did that no one else ever had. The small kisses, the smiles, the caring. I could feel how much he cared already. His eyes told truths I'd never heard.

"I'm early, but I couldn't wait. I've been sitting in my car for almost an hour."

I giggled. "You should've just come in. Rosalie doesn't mind. She told me I could leave early if you want to head out."

"That'd be great."

I matched his smile and bounced a little bit on my toes before I could stop myself. He seemed to enjoy my enthusiasm, though, so it made me feel better. "I just need to change real fast. I'll be right out." I started to run into the back room, but stopped myself, turned around and stood on my toes to give him a kiss in return. "I'm so glad you showed up."

He grabbed me before I could take off again, his brow knitted with confusion. "Why wouldn't I come? Is this because I didn't call before? That won't happen again, Bella."

I smiled. "I'm just genuinely happy you came. I'm happy to see you."

He looked comforted by that and I realized he definitely thought I was a little off my rocker. He was still standing there, though, when I looked over my shoulder before heading into the back, so that was reassuring.

I quickly changed out of my uniform, which basically consisted of a red t-shirt and black pants, and slipped into a pair of jeans and my favorite comfy cable knit sweater. It was soft and fit a little tight, which I hoped worked in my favor. I wasn't past pushing the goods at that point. I wanted some touchy-feely time, and the way the sweater hugged my boobs, he just wouldn't be able to resist giving them a squeeze. Or two.

I forgot to pack shoes, so my tennis shoes had to do. They matched at least, and they were clean, so after running a brush through my hair and getting the knots out, I packed up all my crap and headed back into the shop to get our date on the road.

When I walked out, the other employees had swarmed him, my boss included. My lips pursed and my eyes narrowed when I saw Angela standing next to him. She was a squirrely one, but she had no idea who she was messing with. I wasn't a share-er. He was mine, and I would fight to the death.

"Are you ready to go?" I said way too loudly as I walked up. His smile was all for me, and he stepped away from the crowd and I definitely didn't miss the way his eyes dipped down to my chest. Mission accomplished.

"You look really pretty."

I smiled, giving him a coy, flirty smile. Batty eyelashes, a little dip in my hip, and I knew I had him all systems go.

"Thank you. I wasn't sure what we were going to do, so."

He nodded, and his eyes were at war with his gentlemanly ways. They were working overtime trying to stay on my eyes. I didn't hate it.

"I'm glad you wore a sweater. I was thinking we'd head over to the park. I packed us a lunch."

If I'd have smiled any bigger, my lips would've bled. The park? A lunch? It was like a dream come true, literally. I couldn't have pictured a better date.

"That sounds perfect! I can't wait."

He held out his hand, and I glared over at Rose when she sighed out loud. She covered her mouth and giggled and waved at me with her fingers as we walked out. "Have fun kids!"

The weather wasn't the greatest for an outing at the park, but I hoped I could coax him into keeping me warm with those big strong arms of his. As we walked to his car, he grabbed my hand, and the warmth of it just melted me from the inside out. He was so sure of himself, but not in a cocky way. He was smooth, polite, but confident.

"I hope you like turkey. I wasn't sure what you liked."

I looked up and smiled. "I love turkey. Turkey and provolone is my favorite."

He nodded toward a humungous truck at the curb and slowed down. "Good. Mine too. The turkey, I mean. This is us."

He pushed the button on his alarm and the truck chirped. It was a big blue pickup with big nubby tires and so not what I expected him to drive. I don't know why I thought he would drive something different, but I kind of pictured him driving some sleek sports car—something befitting a big sports star like himself.

But that was the thing about Edward. He was nothing like the stars you saw on television. He wasn't the type you'd see on reality TV, flashing his big obnoxious house or flashy car collection. He was just this normal guy—all t-shirts and jeans and messy hair. He just happened to have an extraordinary job.

"I'll help you up, if you need it. I know it's kind of big."

I snorted. "Kind of. Do you do mountain rescues on your time off? What the hell do you need this big ol' truck for?"

He chuckled, opened the door, and helped me in by my elbow. "It's not that big, Bella. I like feeling safe when I drive the mountain roads. I have a cabin, and the roads are a little rugged. I couldn't get there in a car."

"Oh," I said dumbly. "It makes sense. Everyone in Forks drives a truck, too."

He smiled. "See. Not unheard of for a guy to drive a big truck." He winked, and God how I loved his winks.

He shut the door, jogged around front of the truck, and hopped in the driver's side. Once he had the key in the ignition, he looked over and raised his eyebrows.

"Ready? Buckle up."

That was a given. My dad was a cop, and even though I hadn't seen him in more than a year, I still had that unreasonable paranoia that he'd jump out of a bush somewhere if I ever broke the law, even the little ones.

He was a really careful driver, and I wasn't sure if it was for my benefit, or if it was just his overall perfection. We crossed town and headed to a park I hadn't seen before. It wasn't in a part of town I frequented, so it wasn't surprising. It was small, but quaint.

"I hope this is okay. I come here a lot to walk my dog." I turned in my seat, excited. "You have a dog? Dog's like me! I love them."

"Yeah? You'll have to meet him. His name's Gordie."

I grinned like an idiot on the inside. Meeting his dog was as close to meeting the parents as I'd ever gotten with a guy. It meant he intended on seeing me again. Third date. It was a good sign.

We walked over to a picnic table and he set the cooler he'd packed down and then laid a blanket on the bench for me to sit on. It was the sweetest gesture, and I couldn't help but giggle. I was so happy inside, I felt like I would burst with it.

We unwrapped our sandwiches and started eating quietly, sharing smiles and flirty eyes. It was nice. Peaceful. Fun. I felt so comfortable with him, and it seemed like he felt the same way around me. I had high hopes, big dreams, and a whole lot of butterflies.

"So what made you decide to ask me out, Bella?" I almost choked on my sandwich. I dropped it on the foil and looked up at him. Shocked.

"I don't know. I wasn't going to do it for reals."

He laughed; his eyes wide with surprise. "Well, I don't know what to say then."

I shook my head. "No, that's not what I mean. Well, that's a lie. I probably wouldn't have had the nerve, honestly. I thought about it, dreamed about it, but it's so not like me to ask a guy out. Especially a guy like you."

"So, you dreamed about me?" He smirked, and then popped a Cheeto into his mouth.

Rolling my eyes, I grabbed my sandwich and took a bite. "Wow. That's the first time you've shown a little bit of moxie. I think I like it."

His cheeks flushed, and it made me smile. I definitely liked the flirty, cocky side of him, but when that sweet, shy side came out, it was just the best thing ever.

"What kind of girl are you, Bella?"

Again, I almost choked on my food. I decided it wasn't a really good idea to eat and talk at that point. "What kind of question is that? I'm just a girl."

He shook his head and leaned his elbows on the table. "No, you're definitely not just a girl. You're rather special, but that's not what I meant. I want to know more about you. I want to know what makes you tick."

He was looking for trouble if he wanted to know what made me tick. Did he really want to hear that he was basically all I could think about for months? That just thinking about him made my body come alive like it never had before? That seeing him made me turn into a full-blown nympho? That was hardly the thing to tell a man you were interested in. I'd already made a fool of myself half a dozen times. I didn't want him to think I was completely whacked.

"I work at a coffee shop, I love animals, I live in a dinky apartment, and I love pizza. There isn't a whole lot to say, I guess."

When I put it that way, my life seemed kind of pathetic. I looked down, embarrassed and ashamed. He leaned over the table, grabbed my chin with his thumb and forefinger and kissed me softly on the lips.

"You're also funny, and beautiful, and you make me smile. A lot. You're a pretty remarkable girl, Bella. You're not like anyone I've ever met."

My whole body melted into goo. No one had ever said anything so nice to me before. Ever. My heart was about to explode in my chest, and I wanted to ask him to marry me. Right there.

"What kind of man are you, Edward?"

He smiled and sat back, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'm the kind of guy that sees this pretty girl one day in a coffee shop and can't stop going back day after day just to see her smile-even though it's all the way across town. I'm also the kind of guy who is too chicken shit to ask her out, so I hear this pretty girl rambling to herself, and decide to take advantage of it. I'm the kind of guy that feels really damn lucky to be sitting in a park with that pretty girl, and the kind of guy that hopes she agrees to come to my house afterward so I don't have to let her go."

I was stunned. Stupid, speechless, stunned. "You think I'm pretty?"

He laughed. "Jesus, Bella. Yes. You're gorgeous."

I blushed and looked down and smiled at my feet. "Thank you. I think you're pretty handsome, too."

"Now that we have that established, what do you say? Will you come back to my house? I promise I'll order pizza. We can watch a movie, and you can meet Gordie."

I didn't answer right away and apparently, he got the wrong idea. "You don't have to—it was just an idea. I didn't mean anything, I mean, not that. You know."

I shoved my sandwich and the chips in the cooler, reached over and did the same with his, closed the top, and stood up. "Come on. Let's go."

He smiled and stood, grabbing the cooler from me and then my hand. We walked briskly toward the car, both of us excited, but I couldn't exactly pinpoint why I was so excited. I just knew it was another step for us, and I really, really wanted to get a feel for his environment. We got in the truck and I turned to him.

"Just so you know, I'm okay with the you know... if you know means sex, or anything kind of like sex. I'm okay with that, too."

His eyes popped open wide, and then he looked away and cleared his throat. "Yeah, well..."

He turned on the truck and threw it in reverse without another word, and I knew I'd gotten him flustered. He may not have been ready for that, and maybe I wasn't either. I figured, we'd just see how it went and where the wind blew us, and if the wind blew our clothes off, well, I wouldn't hate it.

* * *

**So... I figured since the last chapter was kind of short, I'd throw another one your way today.**

**Plus, I'm having writer's block, so I'm procrastinating lol.**

**Love you guys. Jami**


	9. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER 9**

* * *

Edward's house wasn't too far away from the park, and when we pulled up in front of it, I about died. It was beautiful two-story colonial with a brick chimney and a well-manicured lawn. Lush green shrubs stood tall on each side, and a big white gate stood in front of the drive. It was impressive, but not overly extravagant.

To me, however, it was a freaking mansion. Compared to my studio, it was massive.

"Wow. Your house is gorgeous."

He smiled as he rounded the front of the truck, and held his hand out for me to take. "Thanks. It's kind of big for me, but I thought I might want a bigger house someday, so I grabbed it after I signed my contract with Twilight."

I nodded, still staring at the beautiful home in front of me. As humble as he was about the place, it was remarkable and made me feel that little tinge of doubt again. His success was right there in my face all the time, and I couldn't help but feel inferior to him. Of course, he never made me feel like that, but he had to have noticed I was a slacker.

His dog was already barking when we reached the door, and as soon as Edward pushed the key in the lock and opened the door, this giant creature came barreling out to greet us. He jumped up and kissed Edward all over his face, and I smiled at the way they loved each other. You could tell the dog missed him while he was gone, and I almost felt guilty for stealing him away for the afternoon.

Almost, but not quite.

I giggled and the dog's attention went straight to me. Standing on all fours he was almost the same height as I was, so I grabbed onto Edward when he decided I needed some kisses as well.

"Whoa, Gordie. Down, boy. Be careful." The dog listened to his daddy and jumped down and sat in front of us, smiling and wagging his tail like crazy. He was beautiful, and really, really, huge. I reached over so I could pet him on the head, and he leaned into my hand, which made me smile.

"He likes me!"

Edward chuckled and wrapped his arm around my shoulder. "Of course he does. I knew he would." He clicked his tongue and Gordie fell in behind us as we walked into the house. The inside was not what I expected his house to look like. Other than the fact it was super clean. I figured that much.

"Your house is nice. It's not what I expected, though."

He threw his keys in a straw basket sitting on a table in the entry way, because of course he was super organized, and leaned against the wall. "No? Why, what did you expect?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. I thought it'd be more like a bachelor pad. Trophies and posters and stuff. You're a sports star. I don't know. Forget it. It's stupid. I like this a lot."

"Thanks," he said, smirking. "I have my trophies in the garage. I guess that's my man cave, or whatever."

"Do you have a lot of them?"

He shrugged. "I guess. I've played since I was six."

I figured he'd been playing forever, and just as I'd assumed, he lived for hockey. "Do you like it a lot? Playing hockey?"

He chuckled. "I do. I don't know what I'd do if I couldn't play."

"Oh."

I wasn't sure what to say. I couldn't relate to that. The only think I couldn't imagine was never seeing him again. Or eating.

"Come on. I'll give you a quick tour and then we'll order pizza and watch a movie, or whatever."

I really wanted to insert what my whatever would be, but I refrained and followed him instead. He walked me through the living room with Gordie fast on our heels, and then showed me the patio, his guest room, his office, and then took me upstairs to see the second story. My heartbeat sped up and my panties got a little hot as we headed up the stairs. It was like the stairway to heaven. The golden ticket.

More than anything, a person's bedroom said a lot about them. My mom's for instance. It looked like Mata Hari reincarnated herself in there. That's because she was a slut. Everything about her bedroom was tacky and desperate.

Then there was my dad's room. Stoic and plain. A bed, a dresser, a rocking chair and a freaking alarm clock. Even his bedspread was boring. Tan. Of all the colors, it was just tan. His said my wife left me and I never moved on and I never get laid.

My room was somewhere in between. It said, I'm broke, I really wish I could get laid, and I'm not creative enough with my minimum wage job to make it look enticing enough. It looked exactly how my brain felt. Messy and confused and full of stuff.

He slowed down at the end of the hallway and blew out a deep breath. "Yeah. This is my room."

Throwing the door open, he stepped back and let me go in first. The room was nice. Better than nice. The walls were painted dark blue, and his bed was covered with a cream bedspread and fitted with several fluffed up pillows. There were a couple pictures on the wall, and I smiled. Hockey players. I turned and smiled over my shoulder.

"This is your man space right here. How cute! You have hockey pictures on the wall."

He ran his hand through his hair and chuckled. "Yeah, well, what did you expect? Nudies?"

I shrugged. "Ugh. No." He laughed and it was just so good to hear him laugh.

"Well you'll hate the garage then. That's where I have the girl posters."

I clucked my tongue and rolled my eyes. "Well, we'll just have to replace those with pictures of me."

I turned back around and ran my hand over the comforter, wanting to feel if it was as soft as it looked. I'd barely bent over when I felt hands on my shoulders. He turned me around, looked at me briefly, intensely, and then kissed me. I grabbed his t-shirt and pulled him closer, moaning when I felt his tongue lick at my lips. I opened my mouth, letting my tongue caress his and then suddenly felt myself fall backwards on the bed, with him on top of me. I wrapped my arms around his back and my legs around his waist.

He groaned, and the sound blasted through me like a pack of firecrackers. Every bit of me snapped and fizzled and I kissed him harder. He returned my kiss, even more ferociously and the room spun around me.

He moved his lips to my neck and I could barely catch my breath. "God, that feels so good."

Even with his beard tickling my skin, I'd never felt anything better than that. Ever. His lips were smooth and every so often, I'd feel his tongue dip out and lick at my neck. I couldn't think. I couldn't even tell you what day it was at that point. My mind was completely blank aside of him and his lips and his hard as fuck body pressed against me.

I let my hands wander over his back, his shoulders, and his arms. He was so hard and big all over. So masculine and strong and so much fucking man that I wasn't sure I'd be able to handle what he had to give.

Of course, my dirty mind went straight to that place I wanted to discover, and I wondered if that was as big as the rest of him.

"Ung," I groaned. Just thinking about it made me want to grind myself all over him.

His mouth froze and I heard him sigh. His face fell into the crook of my neck and I stopped rubbing his back. "What's wrong? Why'd you stop?"

His breathing was heavy, and I hoped he just needed a little break to collect himself. But damn. I honestly expected more stamina out of a hunky hockey player like him. I wasn't going to complain, though. I could take breaks. Lots of breaks. As long as we did that kissing stuff all night long.

"I think we should calm down. I'm getting carried away. I'm sorry."He shot up like his ass was on fire and sat on the edge of the bed with his hands on his thighs. I sat up, staring at the back of his head like he had feral cats flying out of his ears. Was he insane?

"I want you to get carried away. Hellooo. I was sort of into that, in case you hadn't noticed. I'm not a delicate flower, Edward. I want you. I want you real bad."

He took a deep breath and turned around to look at me. He smiled sweetly and reached over, running his finger over my cheek. "You might not be delicate, Bella, but you deserve better. If you don't know that already, I'll make sure you do. I like you, a lot. I didn't bring you back here so I could attack you. I brought you here so we could spend more time together. That's it."

My eyes stung. I had emotional whiplash. In the matter of seconds I'd gone from making out with my dream man, to being told I was precious by said man. He was unreal. If I hadn't already been in love with him—and just to say, I was totally falling in love with him—it was that very moment I fell. Hard.

He was it. The one. Every cell in my body nodded on it. I was never letting him go. Ever.

"Come on, sweet Bella. Let's order some pizza and watch some TV." He stood, held his hand out again, and helped me off the bed. I may have whined a little as I crawled off the bed and followed behind him. I was bummed we weren't going to continue the kissing stuff. I wanted to cry.

Gordie ran up and down the stairs beside us, obviously glad we were joining him again, and we made our way down to the kitchen. I sat on the bar stool in front of the counter while he called in the pizza order and took the time to check out his kitchen. Just like the rest of the house, it was really nice—all stainless steel and sleek granite. It didn't look like he did much in there, and I wondered if he knew how to cook. I didn't know why he'd have all that equipment if he didn't.

He hung up and sat across from me, smiling again. "It'll be here in about forty-five minutes. You want to pick out a movie?"

I nodded. "Sure. But first, tell me this. Do you cook?"

He blushed and shook his head. "Not really. My mom keeps telling me I need to take some cooking classes in the off season so I can feed myself. I just haven't gotten around to it. Do you cook?"

I laughed. "Um. No. I can make grilled cheese, scrambled eggs, and I know how to work the microwave. That's about it." I really hoped being domestically inept was not a deal breaker for him because I had news for him. I sucked at pretty much all of that.

"Well, thank God for pizza delivery, right?" he said

"Yeah. I think we'd starve otherwise."

"Come on. Let's see what's on."

The living room housed a very comfy looking couch, big enough for five, and a bigger than life flat screen television. It was like a mini movie theater.

"Do you like action, or… action?" He turned around and laughed. "I don't really have a very good variety. I have some stupid comedies my brother likes, and a couple actions."

"You have a brother?" There was so much I didn't know about him.

"Yeah. Two brothers and a sister. I'm the youngest." That made me smile. I'd always wanted to have brothers and sisters. Or either. I used to beg my mom to give me a sibling.

"So, you're the baby of the family? That's so cute!"

He rolled his eyes. "In my family, there was no being the baby. Everyone had to hold their own. Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

I curled my legs up underneath me and scratched Gordie on the head. He'd planted himself next to me on the couch and those big brown eyes had me melting.

"No. No brothers and no sisters. Just me."

He held up a movie and raised an eyebrow. "I have really shitty movies. Maybe we'll just watch something on TV."

I shrugged. "Whatever is fine with me. Just hurry up and come sit by me before I dump you for your dog."

He threw the movie back on the shelf and stalked over to the couch, snapping his fingers at Gordie. "Get down, mutt." Gordie jumped down and laid down at my feet.

Edward plopped down next to me, throwing his arm around my shoulders again. "It's not nice to tease me like that. I just got you, and you already want to leave me for my dog?"

I lifted my head and came nose to nose with him. "I don't plan on letting you go."

He pushed his nose against mine, let his lips brush my lips, and smiled. "Good."

He kissed me soft, slowly like he wanted to enjoy every second of it. I knew I did. I never wanted to stop kissing him ever. He didn't kiss like any other guy I'd kissed before. He kissed me like he wanted to kiss me. Like, he woke up that morning and all he could think about was my lips.

Feeling that wanted, that cherished, was something I always wanted to feel, and with Edward, I had a feeling it would be that way always.

"I want to ask you a question," he said, pulling back and rubbing my cheeks with the pads of his thumbs.

"Okay," I breathed out.

"Why did it take so long to find you?"

That was it. I pushed him backward and climbed on top of him, pinning him to the cushions. "Listen up, hockey boy—you can't run around saying sweet shit like that and expect me to just sit back and be good. You're lucky you're bigger than me, or I would just… rip your clothes off."

He threw his head back and laughed. His fingers dug into my sides and he pulled me down against him. "Let's keep our clothes on for now. I just want to cuddle with you for a while."

I nuzzled his chest, enjoying the sweet, spicy scent of him and let my body relax against his body. "Okay. That sounds good. For now."

*****Slapshot*****

"Bella."

I groaned and tried to ignore the whispering voice trying to wake me from the most amazing sleep I'd had in ages. I was warm and cozy, and oh so comfortable. I rolled over, pressing my face into the soft fabric of his t-shirt and swiped at the hand shaking my shoulder.

"Bella, baby. We fell asleep."

I stretched, smiling at his voice. Inside, I was happy that we fell asleep. Being in his arms felt safe and wonderful. I didn't want to get up. "Stop moving. I'm comfortable." I pushed myself closer and wrapped myself around him tighter.

I heard him chuckle and then felt him stir. "Come on. I should take you home. This couch isn't very comfortable."

My tummy twisted up. There were no words to describe my disappointment. As pleasant as it was falling asleep with him, I was bummed out that we hadn't talked more. Or kissed more. Or just… had more time together.

"I don't want to go," I whined. "I'm comfortable right here. This sofa is more comfortable than my bed at home. I can sleep here."

Suddenly, I was off the couch and in his arms. "Come on. If you want to stay, I'm glad. I just didn't want to assume. You're not sleeping on the couch, though. You're sleeping in my bed. I wouldn't be much of a gentleman if I made you sleep on the couch, now would I?"

I smiled into his shirt and laid my head against his shoulder as he carried me upstairs. "No, I guess it wouldn't. That's what makes you perfect."

"What, being a gentleman?" he asked.

I kissed his neck. "Yes."

He kicked his bedroom door open and laid me down on the bed, pulling my shoes off. "Do you want something to sleep in? You can use of my shirts."

"Yes. Thanks."

He walked over to his dresser and pulled out a t-shirt and tossed it over to me. I pulled my sweater up and over my head and threw it on the floor before reaching back to undo my bra when he stopped me.

"Whoa," he cried. "Let me turn around and give you some privacy."

I snorted. "Are you a virgin or something?"

He choked and turned around; trying hard to divert his eyes. It was a futile attempt. They darted right down to the mother lode. "No, I'm not a virgin, Bella, but you're making it near impossible to keep my hands to myself."

I smiled and flicked the hooks on my bra. "Good to know."

I pulled the t-shirt on, holding it up to my nose first so I could get a good whiff of him, and laid back. "Come on. I won't bite."

Unfortunately, he turned off the light before I heard his zipper and I couldn't hold back my disappointment. It would have been nice to grab a glimpse of him in his unders. I really wanted to know if he was a boxer, brief, or boxer-brief kind of guy. Sure, once he got in bed I'd be able to tell, but seeing and feeling were different. My eyes wanted the goods.

He climbed in behind me, pulled the blanket over us, and pulled me against him by my waist. The t-shirt rose up over my hips, and I smiled when he let his hand travel down over the bare skin of my leg. "I deserve a trophy for this alone," he whispered in my ear.

I giggled. "For what?"

He kissed the shell of my ear and moved his arm back to my waist. "For laying here with you in nothing but my t-shirt and behaving myself. You're pretty irresistible, Bella."

I leaned my head back, grabbed a hold of his hand and moved it up and on top of my breast. "You've done a good job of resisting so far."

He kissed me and thankfully left his hand where it was. His hand was strong, but he was so gentle as he rubbed, squeezed, and teased me. His thumb rubbed over my nipple and I couldn't help but press my ass against him and the harness in his boxer-briefs. I smiled.

"Boxer-briefs. I had a feeling."

He moaned into my mouth, and with ease, flipped me over so that we were chest to chest. "You're gonna kill me. You know that? You're an evil, evil woman."

I shut him up with my lips and threw my leg over his hip. My face was positively burning from his scruff, but I wanted those scrapes. I'd walk around slathered in Neosporin and Vaseline for days if it meant I got to kiss him so hard. His hands traveled down to my ass, and he cupped both cheeks in his palms and squeezed, pulling me against him and his rather impressive erection. I felt like I needed a list to tick things off as I figured them out.

Big boy = big dick. Check and freaking check. "Oh my God," I moaned and grinded my hips against him.

"You're making me lose my mind, Bella. Jesus." He slowed us down again, and all I swear I wondered if a person could die of a sad vagina.

He kissed me soft again, and I was seeing that as a pattern with him. It was his way of keeping himself in check and I hated it. He pulled the t-shirt down over my butt and then wrapped his arms around me and brought me down against his chest. "Sleep, woman."

I huffed. "Yeah, get me all hot and bothered and go to sleep. Tease."

He chuckled and kissed the top of my head. "I had a lot of fun today, Bella. Thank you."

I smiled. "I had fun, too, and you're welcome. Thank you for being so sweet."

It was quiet for a while, just the sound of our breathing in the room when he spoke again. "I leave after the game tomorrow if we win. The next two games are out of town."

I pinched my eyes closed. My heart hurt. The thought of not seeing him daily was like salt in a gaping wound.

"I understand. I'm going to miss you. A lot."

He ran his fingers through my head and sighed. "You have no idea."

It should have felt good to hear that he'd miss me so much, but it didn't. It made me sadder. "Stay with me tomorrow. All day. I just want to be with you."

"Yes. I'll stay. Of course." I kissed his chest, right over his heart and sucked down the lump in my throat.

It was crazy how attached I was getting. How dependent I'd become.

"Do you feel this, too?"

I knew exactly what he meant and I nodded. "I do. I always have. Since day one. I always felt like there was something special about you."

"You make me happy, Bella. I've never felt this alive before. It kind of fucking terrifies me."

I jolted up and looked at him, trying to focus in the darkness. "It scares me, too. This isn't normal, is it? To feel so much?"

He cupped my cheeks and shook his head. "It's not normal. It's extraordinary."

Those crazy, stupid words were on the tip of my tongue as I stared at him. I could feel it in him, too. It was irrational, but I was so madly, insanely in love with him that even the hairs of my head hurt. My stomach turned. If he was terrified, there was no way to describe what I felt. It was like looking down the barrel of a gun. If he hurt me, I would be ruined. Devastated. There was no coming back from loving Edward Cullen.

* * *

**Thanks for reading! AND Reviewing!**

**I'm glad you are enjoying wacky Bella. I'd forgotten how kooky I'd written her. But now I remember why I had so much fun writing her. Anything goes with her!**

**Love, Jami**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Spending the entire day with Edward was definitely on the top of my list as far as best days ever went. He woke me up with sweet kisses, and we spent most of the morning curled up in bed talking and snuggling with Gordie.

Around noon, we got up and ate, but found ourselves back to cuddling afterward—this time on the couch. We made out a little bit, too, but mostly, we just talked about everything. I could feel all my little nooks and crannies cracking, and I was so ready to open the door and let him see everything I had to offer on the inside.

I hid a lot of my fears with humor and sarcasm. It was my only defense. It'd been that way since I was old enough to know I needed to deflect the pain and sadness caused by my family. He'd seen the weird me, the crazy me, but I wanted him to see the rest. I wanted him to like the rest. My antics were entertaining, sure, but there were a lot of parts of me I hid from most of the world.

The best parts of our conversations were those when he talked about his family. It was as plain as day how much he loved them and missed them. I wondered if he'd ever pick up and move back to Chicago, just to be closer to them. If I had a family that wonderful, I'd hate to be away from them.

I managed to keep talk about my family vague. Honestly, I was embarrassed to say anything after all I'd heard about his family. He had all these great memories and anecdotes, and I had nightmares and memories best left in whatever town they'd be made in.

"Do you talk to your mom very much? Since she moved?"

I shook my head. "I take the obligatory phone call every few weeks. Otherwise, I ignore her. She's just drama, and I really don't care to talk about her."

He kissed the top of my head, and I knew he was looking for me to elaborate, but thankfully dropped it. "What about your dad?"

I shrugged and curled myself into him a little further, seeking that safe spot. "He's… well. Complicated. He doesn't really like being around anyone. He's a loner, sort of. I feel like I get in his way most of the time, so I don't visit him much."

"How could he not like being around you. You're great."

I laughed, but it came out as a snort. "Yeah, well, according to Charlie, I'm turning out to be just like my mother—flighty and unpredictable, and he doesn't want any part of it."

His brow knitted together as he looked down at me. "You're not flighty, Bella. You're responsible, you hold down a job, you have your own place, pay your own bills. That's not easy for a young person, and especially not in the city. Don't put yourself down."

I nodded, but I didn't agree. It was hard to believe it when you've been told the opposite a million and a half times before. "Rose thinks I need to take some more classes at the college. She wants me to keep my options open and discover what my passion is."

He smiled. "Like the flowers?"

I rolled my eyes. "That was stupid. I thought it'd be fun, but it just sucked. I don't know. I get so frustrated because there's not a lot I'm good at."

He pushed me on my back and climbed over me, smirking. "I know one thing you're really good at," he said.

I smiled. "I bet I could be good at other things, if my boyfriend gave me a chance."

He started to laugh, and then his face became serious. "Am I your boyfriend?"

My eyes bulged and I felt my cheeks fire up with embarrassment. "It's an expression. I mean, we're technically on our third date, right? We're dating, so I assumed, but I'm stupid. Nevermind."

He pressed his finger against my lips and shook his head. "I want that. I just didn't want to push it. This is all like a fucking freight train. I don't want to drive you away by being so forward."

"Who says it's too fast? Is there a law? Do you follow some rule book because I sure as hell don't. I don't know how boyfriend/girlfriend deals work, to be truthful. I've had one boyfriend, and that was in seventh grade. I don't know what I'm doing—I'm just happy with you. I want to be with you all the time. Aside of Rosalie and Emmett, you're my only other friend. In my head, when I talk about you, I've called you my boyfriend since the second day you came into the coffee shop, so if we're doing this, stop worrying about it."

His smile widened. "Okay, girlfriend. No rules. We do whatever we want."

I gave him a stiff nod. "Yup. Whatever we want."

He pulled my bottom lip into his mouth, sucked hard, and then swirled his tongue over my teeth. I made the most unusual animal growl-groan and wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him down against me.

"Can we just make out all the time? I swear, I will quit my job and we can just do this all the time."

He laughed. "How's that going to work when I'm on the ice?"

I shrugged. "I don't know? It won't, I guess. Speaking of—what time do you have to leave tomorrow?"

I was already so bummed he was going to leave again, and that he'd have to do hockey crap the whole next day. He'd asked me to go to the game to watch, but I wasn't ready yet. It was so much easier to watch on Emmett's couch. I had all these feelings going on—I didn't know how I'd deal with him in action in person. So we'd agreed to wait until his next home game.

He groaned and sat up. "I need to be at the arena by noon. We play at six-thirty, but I need a workout, and then warmups before the game. Then to the airport afterward by ten-thirty. We have a midnight flight to Houston."

"Ah, man. This really sucks. I was getting nice and comfortable being here."

He sat up and ran his fingers through his messy hair. "This is just a thought, but you could take me to the airport, if you wanted to."

"I don't have a car; otherwise, I'd love to."

He smiled. "You can drive my truck. You can just drop me off and then you'll have a car to drive until I get back." I laughed.

"Oh, yeah. Sure. I probably can't even reach the pedals in that beast. Or see over the dash. Plus, what do I need that truck for? For my second job as a lumber hauler?"

He smiled, but it was sad, and I hated it. I sat up and wrapped my arms around his torso. "You know what? I have a brilliant idea. I'll call Rose. She can drive us."

He looked over his shoulder at me. "Yeah? She wouldn't mind? I could call a car service. That's what I usually do."

I puckered my lips and smiled when he kissed me. "No way. This is better. Plus, I have a feeling I'm going to need her once you're gone."

He turned in my arms and laid us down again, pulling me down so my face was against his chest. He brushed his fingers through my hair, and I loved that. He'd been doing it since we'd first started cuddling, and it was the most comforting, sweet thing ever.

"I'd like you to be there. I want you to be the very last thing I see before I leave."

We fell into a calm silence, but inside I was curling up and dying. I could laugh and agree all I wanted, but it did feel fast—the falling. After spending two whole days with him, I couldn't imagine being without him. I was falling into full-on panic mode, and I wanted to run with one leg, and wrap the other around his waist and never let go.

"I'll call Rose and make sure she's not busy. I doubt she is. They are so boring. All they do is sit around being married."

He laughed. "Yeah, how does that look?"

I smirked. "Boring and old. I like being around them, though. They have the coolest house ever. I wish I would've had a house like that when I was growing up."

He smiled sadly again, and I knew he could see right through me like cellophane. He knew I was messed up, unwanted. He could tell, and that made me sick. I got up, unable to look at his perfect smile and his hot body anymore, and went into the other room to call Rosalie.

"Hey, where are you?"

I laughed. "With Edward. I turned my phone off in case my stupid mom called and tried to interrupt me."

"Well, I stopped by the house last night to bring you a plate of dinner and you've had me freaking out all day wondering where you were. Don't do that to me, Bella."

I snorted. "Sorry, mama bear. I fell asleep, and then he asked me to stay. I'm spending as much time with him as possible. He won't be back for four days."

She sighed. "Are you okay?" I nodded, and then answered.

"Right now? Yes. Fine. I don't know about later."

I felt my chin wobble and wiped at my eyes. I was falling the fuck apart. "Listen-what are you doing tomorrow night? He wants me to see him off at the airport, and I was thinking you could take me, us, so I have a ride home."

"I'd be happy to, Bella. You know that. But you do know what this means, don't you?"

I giggled, and then sniffed. "Oh, God."

"The man-boy is going to shit himself. Prepare Edward, will you? I don't want the man to call the cops."

I giggled louder and turned when I heard Edward clear his throat from the doorway. "I will, Rose, and thank you so much for doing this."

"No problem. Love you kid."

I hung up and put the phone on the bed. "She can do it," I told him.

He nodded as he walked toward me. "Are you crying?"

I shook my head like a big liar. "No."

He sat down, pulled me into his arms and rocked me. "No crying, Bella. We have the rest of the night to spend together, and I don't want to waste it feeling sad. Okay?"

I nodded against his chest. "Okay." I pulled back and tried to push my hair out of my face and cringed. It was a knotted-up mess.

"Ugh. I need a shower."

He jumped up and held his hand out. "I could use one, too. I need to pack, also. Maybe you can help me?"

"Shower?" I squeaked. "Hell yes I'll help you shower."

He chuckled and shook his head. "No. Pack. You can use the shower down here, and I'll shower in my bathroom. Alone."

He raised an eyebrow and smirked. "You can wear something of mine, and maybe have your friend bring you something to change into."

I was a little disappointed, not going to lie, but I agreed to a shower of my own. As usual, he was very sweet. He started the water, got it nice and warm, and made sure I had everything I needed before stepping aside and letting me do my thing. As I stood under the spray of the warm water, I felt like a princess.

The shower was gorgeous and about half the size of my bedroom with a fantastic shower head. I wanted to wash my hair a thousand times with his shampoo, mostly because it smelled like him, but also because it smelled fantastic. It was so much nicer than the cheap dollar store crap I used. I could even work through the tangles thanks to his fancy conditioner.

I began singing and dancing around. I never wanted to get out. I was in heaven. "Taking a shower in Edward's shower," I crooned. "Naked in his houuuuse. Yeah, he's naked in his shower and I'm naked in his shower." I was rocking away when a knock scared the ever-loving bajeezus out of me.

"You having fun in there?" he laughed.

I slapped my hand over my mouth and screamed as quietly as I could. I was the biggest idiot and I'd never been more embarrassed. Well, at least that day.

"Bella?" he asked again, and I could tell by the echo that he was inside the room. My entire body quivered. Just knowing he was right there, and I was naked, and he was possibly partially naked, well, it was quite the predicament.

"Bella, are you okay? I didn't mean to scare you."

I took a deep breath and shut the water off. I shivered a little and then pushed the shower door open, peeking outside. "I'm fine. Just embarrassed to death."

He smiled and held out a huge fluffy towel. "Don't be embarrassed. I think it's cute. I've never known anyone who sings in the shower."

"All those other girls mute or something?"

His smile fell. "You and my mother are the only two women that have ever showered in there, Bella."

Well, that made me incredibly happy. A little creeped out imagining a mother naked in the same shower, but that was just how my brain worked. Weird.

"So they shower in your room?" I blurted out. I wanted to take it back as soon as I said it, especially when I saw the look on his face. It was definitely not a question I wanted the answer to, and he obviously didn't want to give that answer.

"I put a t shirt and a pair of sweats on the bed for you to change into. I'll leave you alone so you can get ready." He walked out, shutting the door quietly behind him, and I just wanted to curl up on the tile floor and cry like a little bitch.

Of course he had girls before. Of fucking course. I wasn't delusional. "You really are the dumbest girl on the planet. Jesus,"I cursed at myself.

I got out, dried off, and then changed into the clothes he'd left for me. Again, so sweet, and I'd gone and made him feel bad for no damn reason. He had no reason to feel bad about being with other girls. It was asinine.

As soon as I was dressed, I walked into the living room to find him on the couch, talking to his dog.

"I'm sorry I was an asshole. I didn't mean to make you feel bad."

He looked up and smiled, and then patted the cushion next to him. "Come sit."

I scurried over and sat down, folding my hands in my lap.

"I've never had a girl in my shower, either, Bella. Not here. I've only lived here for about a year."

I looked up at him, shocked. Did that mean he hadn't been with a girl in a year? I didn't believe that for a second.

"It's okay if you had. I mean, we've been dating for like a day. I had no right to ask that. I was trying to be funny, but sometimes it just comes out as being smart-assed."

"It's okay, Bella. I want you to ask me questions. Believe me; I have questions for you, too. But not tonight, okay? Please. Let's just have tonight, and when I get back, we'll get to all the heavy shit, okay?"

I nodded and leaned into his shoulder. "Okay. But I want you to know I've never had a boy in my shower, either."

He kissed the top of my head. "Good to know. Thank you. Ready to get some sleep? I have to be up by six."

"Lead the way."

*****Slapshot*****

When the doorbell rang the following night, my stomach dropped. Edward had only been back from his game for a half hour, and he was already cutting it close to make it to the airport. And Rose and Emmett were at the door to drive us there.

The only thing at that moment keeping me from falling to the floor in tears was the reaction I would see on Emmett's face when he met Edward.

"I'll get the door." I ran to the door, swung it open, and came face to face with a smiling Emmett.

"Hey kid!" I loved the big fella. He had a heart as big as his smile, and you had to see Emmett's smile to know what I wastalking about.

"Hey! Thank you so much for doing this."

"Are you kidding? This is awesome!" I felt Edward come up behind me and leaned back into him, smiling at Emmett.

"Edward Cullen, this is Emmett McCarty, Rosalie's husband."

Emmett pushed through the threshold and thrusted his big meaty hand toward Edward. "Man, you have no idea what an honor this is I'm your biggest fan! That win tonight, man, you killed it! I've watched your career for a while."

Edward shook his hand and smiled. "Thanks. It's good to meet you. Thanks for taking us to the airport, I really appreciate it."

He tucked me into his side, which gave Emmett the opportunity to rush in and hug him. I heard the wind fly out of Edward's lungs with the force of it and giggled. Emmett was the ultimate fan, and I had a feeling he'd overwhelm Edward in no time.

"Um, thanks?" Edward said, looking down at me with wide eyes.

"Emmett, why don't you let your wife in the house before you molest my boyfriend. Jeez."

He stood back and then looked behind him to find a scowling Rosalie. "Sorry, babe."

She huffed and pushed past him. "I am so sorry for him. Seriously."

Edward laughed and waved her off. "It's all good. It's nice to meet fans."

I rolled my eyes. I was sure he felt awkward, but it was just like him to be as sweet as could be.

"Here's your clothes, but I have to say, you look awful cute in that getup, sweetie."

Rosalie held up a bag of clothes and I grabbed them and held them against my chest. I was almost sad I'd have to change out of Edward's clothes. His t-shirt was practically a dress on me, and the sweats were enormous, but they were his and they were soft and comfy.

"I'll be right back. I'm going to change really fast."

I turned and headed to Edward's bedroom and dumped the bag out. I laughed when I found a slinky little dress, skimpy lingerie. and a pair of heels. Rosalie was insane.

"Seriously, Rose?"

"What?" Edward said from behind me.

I turned and found him standing in the doorway, leaning against it with his forearms and looking like hot sexy candy. Yes, candy. I wanted to lick him all up.

"Rosalie thinks she's my pimp now. She dug in the back of her closet and pulled out hooker-wear ala nineteen-ninety-six. I can't wear this stuff."

I plopped down on the bed and shook my head. He stepped into the room and headed straight for the clothes. He held up the dress and chuckled. "That's a shame. I think I'd like to see this on you."

My head snapped over to him. "Maybe another time. I can't wear that to the airport. Ugh, I'll just wear what I have on."

He held up a finger and went over to his closet and pulled out a sweatshirt. "Wear this and your jeans. It's cold out, anyway. I don't want you to get sick."

I smiled. "That'll work. I'm so sorry they're so weird. They mean well, I swear it."

He leaned down and kissed me. "They're great, and they love you. I like them already. Now, hurry up and get dressed. We have to head out."

I smirked and lay back on the bed. "Are you sure you don't want to watch?"

He cleared his throat and narrowed his eyes. "No, I'm not sure. I'm positive. I don't need to board a three hour flight with a boner."

He walked out, shutting the door behind him and I kicked my legs up in the air and squealed. "Yes! I give him boners!" I yelled.

"Bella!" He called through the door. "Hurry. Up."

I scrambled to the closet, pulled out a hoodie, threw on that and my jeans, and met them downstairs in the living room. I almost died when I walked in and saw Emmett so close to him, he was almost on his lap. He was flailing his arms and talking fast, and I had to stifle a laugh. Rosalie sat across the room shaking her head and picking at her nails. I knew she was excited for Emmett, even though she was acting annoyed.

"Okay, I'm ready." Edward let out a long breathe, rubbed his hands down his thighs, and then stood. "Gordie, come here, boy."

Gordie came running and jumped up, putting his paws up on his shoulders. He licked his face and Edward scratched his head and gave him kisses. I couldn't believe how adorable they were.

"Who stays with him while you're gone?" I don't know why it hadn't occurred to me before, but I suddenly got worried.

He urged Gordie down and wiped the dog slobber off his face with his sleeve. "My neighbor watches him for me. He'll be fine."

"So, you get shotgun, Edward. I'm driving, so that'll give us more time to talk. I want to hear your thoughts for who'll go to the Stanley finals. Dude, I totally think the Twilight have it in the bag…"

"Emmett, I love you, but please shut up!"

We all laughed and Emmett blushed. "It's Edward-freaking-Cullen, Rosalie! Cullen the killer!" he hissed.

Edward groaned and then let out a nervous laugh. "Yeah, let's get going." He picked up his bag, held out his hand, and brought it up to his lips. "You ready?"

I shook my head. "Not at all."

He smiled sadly and headed for the door. We all packed into Emmett's SUV, and thankfully, Edward got to sit next to me in the back, even though I thought Emmett was going to cry. We held hands the whole way, and I wondered how I was going to survive not seeing him, or touching him for God only knew how long.

It sucked, and I hated it. I'd really gotten used to sleeping with him, even though it'd only been two nights. My measly little mattress in my measly, lonely, little apartment was going to suck royally.

When we got to the airport, Emmett pulled up at the curb at the airline, and they let us out while they found a parking spot. As Edward and I walked into the airport, my stomach felt like it was full of stones. It hurt, everywhere. But mostly, in my heart.

He took care of what he needed to at the counter while I waited behind him, looking at everything and anything other than him. I was having serious worst case scenario issues, worrying about everything from the plane crashing to him falling in love with a hot flight attendant. I felt like I was going to throw up.

When he was done, he turned around, and grabbed my hand. I squeezed his hard, letting him know I was in no way okay with letting him go. He squeezed back, and I could feel his eyes on me, but I couldn't look up. He probably thought I was some kind of freak the way I was so clingy. I wasn't sure how to change it, though because I'd never been that way. Ever. Not even with Rosalie and Emmett.

I loved them to pieces, but most of the time, I was ready to leave at the end of our time together. I was okay going back to my little space alone. I'd been alone for a long time. I was comfortable there—it was easy. He was making things really difficult and confusing, and I just didn't have the emotional toolbox to fix my shit.

"Well, I guess this is it," he said with a sigh. "I'll call you. I promise."

We'd made it to the end of the area, and I could no longer go with him. The rope was wrapped so tightly around my heart, I thought I'd lose circulation. It was going to be the hardest thing I'd ever have to do to watch him walk away from me.

"Hey," he said softly.

I still couldn't look at him. I knew I'd just crack, and I didn't want that. He lifted my chin with his finger and what he saw there, I couldn't even tell you. It must have been enough for him to see just how deep things went for me, and how devastated I was watching him go.

"I'll be back, and we'll pick up right where we left off. I swear it, Bella. I'm coming right back to you."

I nodded, and tried to look at him finally, but I just couldn't focus. My tears made everything blur, and the sound of my heart breaking pretty much drowned out everything else.

"Will you watch my games?" he asked.

"Yes," I said, my voice shaking. "Emmett will make me."

He laughed and wrapped his arms around me. "I like him. I can tell he's a good guy. He looks after you, doesn't he?"

I nodded against his chest. "He does."

"Good. I'm serious, though. Please watch my games. I'll give you a sign, okay, so you know that even out there, no matter how hard I try to leave you off the ice, you're there. You've been there for a while, Bella."

The dam broke and I just lost it. I cried, snotty and sloppy and ugly. I clung to the back of his jacket and pressed my face against him, not giving one shit how it looked or how he saw it. I felt deep and hard and wild for him. I wasn't going to drop love bombs on him, but it was there inside of me. Love, love, love. So much love, I swore I was just spilling over.

"Don't cry. Jesus, you're killing me. Come on, sweetheart, please don't cry."

Yeah, there was no stopping it. Only when I felt Rosalie's hand on my shoulder and her sweet cooing in my ear did I finally pull away. He held my face in his hands, looked me hard in the eyes and then kissed me, right there in the middle of Sea-Tac for the entire world to see. When he pulled away, I smiled at his red, puffy lips, and the moisture I found in his eyes.

"Be good, while I'm gone. I'll call you as soon as I get to Houston, and as often as I can from there. Okay?"

"Okay."

"I'll miss you," he said, lowering his voice.

"I'll miss you, too."

He smiled. "Okay, well. I have to board now, so…"

I threw myself at him one last time, hugged him tight, and kissed his chest. "I really can't wait for the damn season to be over!" He laughed.

"You'll miss me that much?"

I pushed back and looked up at him. "No. I really hate the damn beard."


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

**Epov**

* * *

Every step I took as I walked away from her thundered in my ears. I ached, deep in my chest, and it felt very close to the physical pain inflicted by an angry opponent on the ice. I rubbed at it with my free hand and forced myself not to look behind me at the very sad, very beautiful, very far away girl behind me.

She was like a cyclone the way she'd swept in and turned my life upside down. I'd fantasized about the counter girl for months, close to a year, and after holding her in my arms, and in my bed, I was pretty sure I was dreaming. Waking up from a dream like that wasn't a pleasant thought.

One of the reasons I'd put off meeting her in the first place was moments just like that one. The leaving. There was no getting around it. I left. A lot. It was my job, and I loved my job. But I was beginning to love the girl just as much.

I took my seat on the plane, laid my head against the headrest, and quickly put my ear buds in my ears. I had too much on my mind to deal with anything, or anyone. It was the best do not disturb sign I had, given the situation.

A little while later, I felt the rustle of someone taking the seat next to me and cracked an eye open to see who it was. I smiled and gave a small nod when I saw that it was Sam, one of my teammates, and a good friend. I was glad I didn't end up getting stuck with one of the rowdier guys. I had too much thinking to do, and I was worn out.

"Hey," he said, leaning over and pulling a bud from my ear. "I called you last night. We went over to Ruben's for a few beers. Where were you?"

I sighed and sat up. "I was busy. I didn't hear the phone. Sorry."

He chuckled. "Busy, eh?"

I scowled.

Holding his hands up, he laughed. "Don't worry, I won't bug you about who it was, but I wonder. Was it the flight attendant?"

I groaned and shook my head. "What are you talking about?"

"The flight attendant. The one from the flight from New York. She was all over you, and I thought for sure you were going back for seconds on that one."

I wiped my hand over my face, remembering the girl from the flight. She was a pretty girl. And really flirty. But I hadn't had intentions with her then, and I had no desire to see her again after the night I'd had with Bella.

"I didn't even keep her number, man. No, it wasn't her." I sensed him smiling and shook my head. "Are we going to give each other facials next?"

He nudged my shoulder and sniggered. "So, it was a chick. Nice. I thought I was going to have to help you out with this little dry spell of yours. At least we know it's not low testosterone—you're still hitting it on the ice."

I popped my ear buds back in and shut my eyes. The guys were as bad as a bunch of old ladies. I had no idea why he was so interested in my sex life—other than the fact that he'd been married for almost ten years and probably didn't have one. Whatever it was, I wasn't in the mood.

Truth was, I was seriously sexually frustrated. My sweet, shy counter girl had turned out to be a little wildcat, and my nuts were aching. I smiled to myself, remembering her little body against mine. She was a determined little thing, I had to hand her that. I just knew from day one that she wasn't the type of girl I wanted to sack and toss. I wanted to wrap her up in a bow and keep her on a shelf, like a prize.

I felt like a fucking king the day I overheard her talking about me. I'd left that day with my stale coffee and shitty muffin with a huge smile on my face and a new game plan. Of course, she caught me off guard when I heard her rehearsing her speech for me, so I figured it was now or never. If I bitched out, I would never forgive myself.

All the times I'd gone in there, I never got much of a reaction out of her. I figured she just wasn't interested, and I was way too proud to put myself in a situation where I'd get rejected. It wasn't something I was used to. Not that I was conceited or anything, but being a professional athlete gave me an advantage with the ladies. I knew women found me attractive—I wasn't naïve—but until I'd found that little morsel in that tiny coffee shop, it hadn't really mattered.

Suddenly, I wanted to be noticed. I wanted to catch her watching me. I wanted her to ask for my autograph, tell me I sucked, fall in love with me. Something. I wanted every damn thing that girl had to offer. But she gave me nothing. She had me under the impression she hated me, or worse, was indifferent.

She screwed up my order every fucking time, and I thought that shit had been on purpose. Was I torturing myself going back time after time? Sure as fuck. I couldn't give up, and that's why I wanted to absorb every minute with her, remember every detail, and pick her apart until I knew how she worked from the inside out.

I wasn't letting her go; not after waiting so damn long. And especially not after I got to know her. How funny and interesting she was. And how warm and soft she felt sleeping next to me.

Before I knew it, we were landing. I'd been so tired that I'd slept through the whole flight. I hadn't gotten much sleep with Bella in my bed—not that I was complaining. I wanted that to be a recurring ritual once I got home. But she was pretty damn distracting. I couldn't sleep knowing she was right there, soft, beautiful, and more than fucking willing.

She tested my patience like no other, and I was ready to explode. I hardly knew what to do with myself, and she made it impossible to be good. There was something about her, though, something delicate, and I knew that my determination to take things slow was the right thing to do.

The town car pulled up and Sam joined me to ride to the hotel. All I wanted was a warm bed so I could sleep off the tension before the game. I was so blocked up with thoughts of Bella, I was bound to fuck everything off just so I could watch her on repeat in my head.

"What the hell are you thinking so hard about?" Sam asked. "You're zoned, dude."

I pulled my phone out of my pocket and turned in on, desperate to see if I had a message from Bella. I smiled when a picture of her pouting, lying in bed between Emmett and Rosalie popped up.

"My crazy girl," I laughed before sliding over to look at the next picture she sent.

"Your girl, eh? Let's see that."

I grabbed my phone away from him and slid it in my pocket. "What's your deal? You're bugging the shit out of me."

"She's gotta be hot if you're this worked up. Come on. Let me live vicariously through you. My life is boring."

I laughed. "That's your problem."

"Come on, Cullen. Spill it. Who is she?"

I sighed, knowing he wasn't going to shut the hell up until I told him. "Her name is Bella."

"Ahh, Bella. How long has this been going on?"

I shook my head, not knowing how to answer without sounding like a total freak. "We've only gone out a couple times, but I've been watching her for a while."

He raised an eyebrow. "Watching her? What are you? A stalker?"

I laughed. "No. She works at the coffee shop I go to."

"Oh shit," he said, slapping his thigh loudly. "The muffin girl? Are you telling me you finally got a piece of the muffin girl?"

I narrowed my eyes squinting. "What the… how do you know about the muffin girl?"

Muffin girl. I'd never called her the muffin girl.

He laughed. "Whenever you're drunk, you go on and on about the muffin girl. Long brown hair, brown eyes, big tits. You tell us all about her. She's got a nice ass, always wears tight pants, and you love it when she wears her hair in a ponytail. I know way more about that girl, and what you want to do with her, than I need to. I'm glad you finally talked to her, though. I thought she was married or something. Couldn't figure out why you were avoiding her if you liked her so much. It's not like Cullen to pass up on a piece of ass."

I breathed deeply through my nose and looked out the window to collect my thoughts. "I really like her," I said softly, glancing back at him.

"Ahh, how sweet. So, why didn't you bring her with you? Gonna save up all that pent-up frustration for the ice?" He laughed, and I glared at him for a moment before staring out the window again.

The thought had passed my mind. It was on the tip of my tongue to ask her all day, but it was so fucking soon. Too soon.

"It's cool, man. It's about time you settled down."

I almost choked. "I've been on three dates with her. I haven't picked out a ring, dumbass."

He just laughed and shook his head. "Yeah, but you're thinking about it. You have that look on your face—trust me, I've been there. It's the same way I felt before I settled down with Emily. It's the look of a man getting ready to hand in his card."

I looked away again. He wasn't wrong. I already cared about Bella a lot. Getting to know her was just pushing that arrow further into my heart. I was infatuated. There was no doubt, but there was no way I was going to profess my love and scare the shit out of her. We weren't anywhere near ready for that.

"Well, I'm taking it slow. Seeing where it goes. She's special. She's a great girl. She's just different. Good, different, but different."

He hummed, and I hoped like hell he'd just shut the fuck up. I was doing a crap job of getting my head in the game, and he was not helping.

"Well, good for you."

Thankfully, he was quiet the rest of the way to the hotel, and once we got out of the car, we parted ways and headed to our rooms. I was still tired, but knowing Bella would be heading to work early, I wanted to send her a message before I crashed. We'd be stuck with practice and team bullshit and I didn't want to make her worry. I promised her I'd call, and I intended on keeping my promise.

I dialed her number and waited for her to pick up. After five rings, I was ready to hang up, but then I heard her sweet voice, rushed and out of breath, on the other line.

"You called!"

"Hey, girl." There was a huge lump in my throat. It was insane how much I missed her already. "I got your pictures."

She giggled. "I climbed in bed with them. Rosalie thought I was going to go home and slit my wrists after you left, so she made me go home with them. They're not as fun to sleep with as you."

I chuckled and felt an unfamiliar sting in my eyes. I was becoming such a pussy for the girl. If I got any deeper, I'd end up drowning in her.

"I don't know about that. Emmett seems rather cuddly."

She laughed so loud, and the sound rang through my ears like music.

"I miss you," I blurted out, and clenched my eyes tight, almost embarrassed at how desperate and needy I sounded.

"I miss you, too," she whispered. "You promise you'll call me every day?"

I nodded, and then answered. "I promise. And don't forget to watch my games. I'll send you a message. Be watching for it, okay?"

She sighed. "I wouldn't miss them. I'm trying to learn the rules. Emmett is helping, and he likes having me there to watch the games with."

I laughed. "I bet he does. You know, he's a lucky bastard."

"Why? Because he gets to teach a lame-o how to watch hockey?"

I took a deep breath. "No, he gets to watch hockey with the most beautiful girl in Seattle."

She gasped and I wondered if I'd gone too far. I'd wanted to tell her that since our first date. The way she sipped her beer was sexy, the way her eyes crinkled when she laughed was gorgeous, and the way she giggled set me on fire. I was full of flowery words and bullshit poetry for the girl.

"Are there beautiful girls in Houston?" she asked.

The question caught me off guard. I sat flapping my lips, speechless for a moment, before I could respond. "I'm sure there are some pretty girls here, Bella. But for me, there's only one girl. You. If you were here, you'd be the prettiest girl in Houston. If you were in New York, you'd be the most beautiful girl there, too. In my eyes, you're the prettiest girl I've ever seen."

The reaction I get to that soul-dripping confession was not the one I was expecting. Which, with her, I'd learned to expect the unexpected. She had a serious lack of filter.

"Well, good. So make sure you ignore all those fuck buddies while you're there, okay? Only think of me when you think of that."

I groaned and reached down to palm the swell in my jeans and pressed down hard to relieve the pressure. I was painfully hard, and it was pretty much a guarantee that I'd end up jerking off frequently after these phone calls with her.

"Are you there?" she asked, and I heard her giggle again and it went straight to my dick.

"You're trying to kill me, aren't you?"

"I'm not trying to kill you. I like you too much to kill you."

That made me smile. "I like you too much, too." It felt good to get it out in the open.

She liked me, I liked her, and I felt better than I'd felt in so long. Alive and ready for wherever this thing between us was taking us. "I don't want to let you go, but I need to get some sleep before I have to report to the stadium. Take care, Bella."

"You too. Be careful, please."

I smiled. "I will. Bye."

She said her goodbye softly and then I heard the line go dead. I fell back against the mattress and shoved my hand down my pants. I was throbbing and felt like I was fifteen years old again and just saw my first set of tits. She made me wild inside, and hornier than I'd ever been. Waiting was ideal, but I wasn't sure I could hold out very long. I undid my pants with my free hand, unwilling to let go of my dick for a second, when my phone rang from beside me. I grabbed it, answering quickly and hoping like hell it was Bella so I could hear her voice while I came.

Instead, my mother's voice rang through the receiver, and my erection went the way of the dinosaurs. I pulled my hand out of my pants and sat up.

"Hey ma. Why the hell are you calling at four-thirty in the morning?"

"I've been worried sick. You didn't call before you boarded, and you didn't call when you landed. I'd like to smack the crap out of you, young man."

I chuckled. "I forgot. I'm sorry, okay."

She huffed, and I knew she was pissed. I honestly felt bad. It was a ritual to call her every time I flew, and I messed up. She was probably worried sick. She hated when I traveled. She was superstitious, too. So missing that phone call was a major fuck up.

"I was distracted, and I forgot. I'm here, safe and sound. Already at the hotel, okay?"

She huffed again, and I laughed. She was laying the guilt on thick.

"Well, anything more important than your mother's peace of mind deserves an explanation. What were you doing that was so important? "

"It was Bella."

My mom knew all about Bella. I'd told her about the pretty girl who caught my eye months ago, just to get her off my ass.

"You went to see her before you left? Ahh, my romantic love-sick boy. When are you going to finally talk to the girl? If she's half as pretty as you tell me, a boy with bigger balls is going to steal her away from you."

I groaned. "God, ma."

"Psh. You know I'm right."

I pushed a deep breath from my lungs and laid back against the pillow, covering my eyes with my arm. "Ma, I'm in big trouble."

* * *

**Our first Edward POV!**

**Thanks for sticking around! And thanks for reviewing and reading. **

**Love, Jami**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

* * *

Some of you asked about Gordie, and what kind of dog he is. He's a Newfoundland, and black and perdy. Lol Glad you guys liked EPOV… I will definitely give you a few more of those. I just love writing in EPOV, so it'll be fun! Big hugs to all of you that left me reviews! Thank you! Not Beta'd and this one is probably a big hot mess. My eyeballs are super tired, and I'm sure I missed a bunch of boo-boos. Forgive m'kay? Prompt: "Why do you always put this off until the last minute?"

First it was Houston. Then New Jersey, Boston, and San Jose. I missed Edward so much I could've sworn I was getting an ulcer.

"What in the fuck is that? That has to be my sign, but what? What is that? Four orgasms? He'll give me four orgasms when he gets back? Four more days? Four more weeks? Oh my God, what if he only has four inches. I can't take this pressure!"

Emmett laughed beside me, and I heard Rose groan from the other side of the room. "Bella, it's a sign. It means he's thinking about you. Who really cares what it means? Have you thought about asking him?"

I shook my head and turned back to the screen just in time to watch my boyfriend fly across the ice. He was truly magical to watch, and the more I watched it, the more I enjoyed it. You could see the fire in him when he played. He loved it—so much. He was amazing, and the crowds loved him.

"No, I didn't ask him. I don't want him to think I'm a complete idiot. God!"

The game was down to the last few minutes, and Twilight was winning again. They'd won the last four games, and Emmett said that pretty much clenched them a spot in the playoffs, which were coming up soon. Of course, I was incredibly proud of him, but I was a selfish bitch, too. I wanted him, and that was that.

"Shut up!" Emmett yelled out. "Here we go."

All eyes were on the screen, and it was a mad dash to the final goal of the game. With three seconds to spare, number 17 slammed the puck into the goal and Twilight took the win.

"Yes!" Emmett cried out, throwing the bowl of chips on the floor! "We're heading to the playoffs, baby!"

I should have been jumping up and down with the big dork, but instead, I hid my face in my hands and cried. I felt Rosalie's hands on my shoulders.

"I'm afraid this is something you're going to have to get used to if you're going to date him, Bella. Is this something you can handle? You need to think about it before you get any deeper."

I turned and looked at her, aghast. "I'm in about as deep as I can get without going under, Rose. It's just a lot harder than I thought it'd be. I mean, I knew it was going to suck, but this is pretty much torture!"

She squeezed my shoulders, came around the side of the sofa, and sat on the edge. "I think he wants something serious with you, too. He's sending you hand signs on the ice, he calls you every day—as promised—and the look on that boys face matched yours the day he left. I think he's worth it, and you're worth it. I just think you need to relax and figure things out."

I felt my chin shake, and I just wanted her to hug me some more so I could cry and pout like a big baby. I'd basically cried my eyes out every night over him, and it wasn't getting any easier. "I don't have the first clue what to do. This feels really real, and I've never had a relationship like this before. I'm pretty sure this is the first real boyfriend I've had, and I only had him for less than twenty-four hours before he left me."

She laughed. "Sorry, darlin'. You nabbed yourself a star, and you're going to have to share him with the world. They love him, and you can see that he loves what he's doing. Can you share him? Can you grow up a little and treat this like an adult relationship? This isn't a booty-call. This isn't like one of your mother's drag along men. I think with this one, he's the type to hang on for the long haul. I'm as worried about him as I am you."

I huffed and got off the couch, pissed off, but she was partially right. I was terrified of screwing things up. Hearing her say it out loud make me want to throw up. I didn't know how to act. I hadn't had to deal with complications like this before. What was I supposed to do? How was I supposed to act?

He was so good. It hurt me physically to think about hurting him. And that was a huge possibility because I spazzed out all the time and would likely fuck it up. I was scared of becoming my mother, and I swear I fought that fate all the time. But my track record with men wasn't great. Being the one to hold on to his heart was a little more than I could deal with at the moment.

"Who knows what he even wants. He barely touched me! Maybe he just wants a friend to hang with while he's in town, ya know? He didn't even fondle my boobs, and I have great boobs, Rose. I tried to put his hand on my boob and he acted like I was hiding a venus fly trap in my bra. I even tried to flash him and he turned around! He should've been all over that action, but no."

Rose groaned, and Emmett sighed before turning to me. "Maybe you should back off a little, Bella. You're intimidating him. A man needs to know he's holding the cards—that he's in charge of shit."

I glared at Emmett. "So, what am I supposed to do? I'm sure he's had girls throw themselves at him before, Em. Have you seen him? Googled him? There are pictures with him and other girls. He's just… he's fucking weird."

He shook his head and stood, stretching his arms over his head. "I think the dude has pictured you carrying his kids. He's obviously been fantasizing about you for a while, and he's at the next stage. He cares about you, doll. Let him. I know you haven't gone out with a guy like that before, but they exist. Look at me. I was like him. I was ready to propose to Rosie the day after we met. When a man knows, he just knows. Just give him some time."

"I'm going home. This is too much thinking for one night, and he'll be calling soon. I want to be in bed when he calls."

Emmett gave me a ride home since it was getting dark, and I had to listen to his philosophy on love the entire ride. I appreciated it, for sure, but I didn't know what to believe. Of course, it would've been much easier if Edward were near, but having him far away with a single short phone call a day was bullshit. I couldn't wait for him to come home so we could figure out what was going on between us. If I had it my way, he would be mine, always and forever. Period.

I wasn't stupid enough to pretend he wasn't everything I'd ever imagined my dream guy would be. He was kind, sexy, sweet, smart, talented, and gorgeous. It was scary, knowing that he actually existed, that he was actually in my life. Thinking back to the days when all I could do was stare at him from the other side of a counter seemed so far away, like it wasn't even part of my life. He was so real to me, so important already.

I showered and changed into some comfy clothes and climbed into bed to wait for Edward's call. Sometimes it would take hours after a game for him to call. Of course I had no idea what he did in the time it took for the game to end and for him to call, and sometimes that stressed me out. I hadn't even been in bed for a half hour before the phone rang. I picked it up, my entire body prickling with excitement and smiled into the phone as I answered.

"Congratulations on winning!" I curled my legs up beneath me and sat up to talk to him.

"Thanks, baby. Fuck, did you watch?"

"Yes! I told you I wouldn't miss a game, didn't I? I haven't so far."

He chuckled. "Yeah, but you haven't mentioned the sign. Did you see anything?"

I bit the inside of my lip and looked at the ceiling. "Yeah, I did see. Four fingers, right?"

He laughed a little louder and I heard a rustle on the other side, and I wondered where he was. "Where are you?"

"I just got back to my hotel room. Looks like we're heading back tomorrow. We play in Seattle next, so I'll be home for about a week, at least."

I pumped my fist into the air and smiled. "Seriously? I can't wait!"

"Yeah? You miss me, Bella?"

I clucked my tongue. "I miss you like crazy. I'm not even going to pretend I don't. I do, so freaking much."

He sighed on the other end. "I miss you, too, Bella. This has been the roughest fucking week and a half I've ever had. You're all over. Everywhere I look, I think about you. You're on my brain, constantly."

I smiled. It was exactly what I needed to hear. He was just as messed up as I was. That gave me a touch of hope that he did want me the same way I wanted him.

"Bella—I want you to come stay with me when I get home. I want to spend time with you again, talking and getting to know each other more. Is that too much to ask?"

"Okay!" I cried out. "You want me to come over tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I do." I could hear the smile in his voice and it made my tummy flip.

"So, my sign. Did you get it?"

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, four fingers. What does it mean?"

"B," he said. "It's sign language for the letter B. For Bella."

I pressed my hand against my heart. "Seriously?"

"Mm hmm. I told you. You're my girl. I miss you."

Holy Shit. It was sort of monumental that he did something so personal, so special, and for the entire world to see.

"Can it be tomorrow already? I miss your dog, too."

He hummed. "I do, too. I hate leaving him home."

It was silent for a moment, and I was worried that he'd fallen asleep. "Are you there?"

I heard him yawn, and frowned. It always happened. He was always so tired after the games, which was understandable, but it didn't soften the blow when he'd fall asleep on the phone with me. "Don't hang up tonight, okay? Talk to me until you fall asleep. I want to talk to you until you sleep."

"Okay," he said sleepily.

We talked for several more minutes until I heard his soft snores and I knew he was out for the count. I waited a few moments until I knew he was sound asleep, and then whispered, "I love you."

*****Slapshot*****

I woke up full of energy the next morning. I wasn't even sure what time he was coming home, but just knowing he was had me all giddy and full of pep. I went into work distracted and spent the entire day checking my phone. When it finally rang around one o'clock, I ran into the back room and answered it quickly.

"Hi, boyfriend!"

"Boyfriend, huh? Well, now I'm really glad I called. How are you, darling? You haven't been answering my calls."

I stomped my feet and cursed softly. "Shit!"

"Is that any way to greet your mother?"

I pressed my lips together and paced back and forth on the tile floor of the tiny stock room. The last person I wanted to deal with was my mother, and blurting out the fact I had a boyfriend was cracking open a can of all kinds of bullshit. She was a nosey bitch, and it had nothing to do with giving one crap about me.

"Hi, mom. How are you? Nice of you to call. I'm at work and I can't talk, so I'll call you later."

She laughed, and I wanted to punch her through the phone. It was so patronizing and phony and I hated it. "Well, I wanted to let you know that I'll be in town at the end of the week."

My eyes bugged out and I looked around the room, searching for an escape, even though the woman was a thousand plus miles away. "What do you mean? Why?"

She sighed and it was over-dramatic and very Renee-ish. "Well, I left Phil. It wasn't working out, so I'm going to look for a place in Seattle. I should be closer to you, and Washington is home, after all."

I rolled my eyes. "Since when, mother? What's going on?"

She huffed through the phone again. Her annoying little huffs. "Bella, aren't you glad I'll be closer? I'd think you'd be happy having your mommy close by."

I shook my head, angry and on the verge of tears. The woman only brought me trouble and heartache, and I knew exactly what she was up to. "So, what? He left you broke and you have nowhere else to go. Fantastic. I can't help you, though, Mom. My apartment is tiny, and my landlord would shit if she found out I had another tenant in there. I can't even have pets."

All lies, but she didn't know that, and the truth was, my apartment was way too small for two people, especially when one of them was my mother.

"What do you expect me to do, Bella? I have nothing here. He left me for another woman, and the prenup was iron clad and solid. I'm screwed here! I have nothing."

I was steaming. "Well, tough shit. I have nothing. I've had nothing. I came here with forty bucks and a backpack, and I've actually managed to get my shit together, no thanks to you or my sperm donor. I can't do this anymore, mom. I have friends, a job, a home, and someone I care about very much. I want a normal relationship with him, and I just can't do this with you anymore!"

"Listen, Bella. You will not leave me on the streets. I took care of you the best way I knew how, and you won't let me become homeless!"

I snorted. Oh, she thought I wouldn't. She'd find out how serious I was. "Mom, I love you because you're my mom, but I'm going to be selfish and tell you no. No. Do what you do best, and wrangle up another man. Whatever you have to do to stay where you are. Please, Mom. I'm happy. Please let me be. Please."

She was silent on the other line, and I pulled the phone back to check if she was still on the line. She was, so I held it back to my ear. "I'll be there Friday, Bella. I don't know what else to do. It'll be temporary, I promise."

"Fuck," I snapped. Who was I kidding? I was going to let her stay. It wasn't in me to turn her away, and she knew it. "Fine. Two weeks, and that's it. Seriously, Mom."

She sighed. "Tell me about this boy. I hope he's better than some of the ones I've seen you with before."

I made a face into the phone, and wished like hell she would've been in front of me so I could've smacked her.

"Oh, he's way better. Ever hear of Edward Cullen? Google him, and then make some stupid remark, and next time you want to come see me, don't make it last minute. I have a life, you know."

I hung up, and my buzz had officially fizzled out. I couldn't believe my mother. She was such a pain in the ass, and I really, really, didn't want to involve Edward in any of her bullshit. It was embarrassing. She was embarrassing.

The bells on the front door jingled and I heard the most beautiful voice on earth float back to the room where I was hiding. Taking a deep breath, I fluffed my hair, checked my cleavage—an important detail—and headed out to greet my very handsome, and very much missed, boyfriend. I opened the door and caught his eye and the smile he gave me was so big and so relieved, I just knew I was being an idiot. That guy was in to me, he dug me hardcore.

"Bella." He held out a dozen red roses, and I swooned.

I loved that he went out of his way with details, all the little things to make me feel special. He didn't hand them to me as he approached, though. Instead, he wrapped his arms around me, flowers still in his hand, and hugged me tight against his chest, kissing the top of my head.

"Damn. You're more beautiful than I remembered."

"I'm going to end up pregnant if this guy keeps talking in my presence."

I snorted against his chest and I could feel his body rumble with his laughter. "Rosalie is insane," he whispered. I couldn't disagree.

I pulled back so I could see his pretty face. The beard was still there, but I was used to it now, and I'd had some pretty dirty dreams about it rubbing my inner thighs. Dreams I hoped would be fulfilled while he was home.

"You ready to go, or do you have to stay?"

I nodded, and then shook my head. "I can totally go. Rosalie said I didn't even have to come in. Let's go home."

His eyes dilated and he brushed his thumb over my cheek. "I like the way that sounds."

"Come on."

I wanted him alone, fast. There were a million people—or like six—watching our little reunion, and I just wanted him alone. Preferably naked or semi-naked, and in his room. I really wanted to spend all our time curled up with each other again.

"These are for you. I hope you like roses. I didn't even ask."

I smiled and grabbed the flowers. "They're perfect. You're perfect. Thank you. You didn't have to bring me flowers again, though."

He leaned down, smiling, planted a sweet kiss on my lips, lingering there for a moment. "I didn't want to kiss you in front of everyone, but I couldn't help myself. I'm so glad to see you, Bella."

I put my hands on his hairy cheeks and pulled his lips back against mine, kissing him hard. "I'm so glad to see you, too. You have no idea."

* * *

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**XO Jami**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

* * *

The ride back to his house was a short one, and I couldn't keep my hands off him. Seeing him in person felt so good. I'd even forgotten the conversation I'd had with my stupid mother earlier. Yeah, I'd have to deal with it eventually, if she actually showed up, but I couldn't think of anything other than him. And how happy he made me feel when he was around.

We pulled into his driveway, and the front door flew open. Gordie came flying out, followed by a very tall, very beautiful, very blonde chick.

"Hey buddy."

Gordie jumped on Edward, his paws on his shoulders, and kissed his face. I loved how cute they were, but I just couldn't stop staring at the smiling woman behind them as she approached.

"We were wondering where you were. I thought you'd be home over an hour ago."

The way she said home lit a crazy fuse in my brain. Who the hell was she, and why was she in my boyfriend's house, smiling at my boyfriend, and calling his house home? Edward pushed the dog down but continued to scratch his ears. Gordie went for me, and he grabbed his collar.

"Whoa, Gordie. Don't jump." I rubbed my hand over his face and smiled at the dog, before looking back up at the stranger. I wasn't ready to let her out of my sight. I didn't trust the whole situation.

"Sorry, I had to make a pit stop," Edward said, nodding in my direction.

I scowled. Oh, I was a pit stop? "Excuse me, but am I interrupting something here?"

Edward's head snapped in my direction and the surprised look on his face hit me right in the throat. I raised an eyebrow, cocked my hip, and crossed my arms over my chest. I needed an explanation, and quick.

"Oh," he exclaimed, his eyes wide. "Bella, this is my neighbor, Tanya Denali. Tanya, this is my girlfriend, Bella Swan."

"Oh, it's nice to meet you, Bella." She smiled, but it was one of those smarmy ones. About as genuine as her boobs. Or her hair, for that matter.

"You too, Tawny," I said, smartly.

"Tanya," she insisted.

I was calling her Tawny. Jealously wasn't an emotion I had any experience with, and I was all filled to the gills with it, so Tawny could shove her name up her ass.

"Well, I guess I'll be going. I made lunch, so help yourselves." She gave me another look and then wrapped her arms around Edward's neck and hugged him tight.

My fists felt like little balls of fire as I clenched them tight against my legs. The friggin' witch had a lot of nerve. He hugged her back like she was his long-lost Velveteen rabbit and the rage, the jealousy, boiled inside of me. I couldn't take it anymore, so I huffed and started walking toward the house. I really wanted to bail because that was easy. But I was too angry to let him off the hook. And my boyfriend was getting an earful once she was gone.

I wanted to punch him in the nuts.

Stomping up the porch steps, I came to a halt at the door, suddenly feeling really stupid and not comfortable enough to go inside alone. I heard him coming up behind me, but I was on the verge of tears and I didn't want him to see my face, so I looked straight ahead.

I could feel his eyes on my face as he pushed the door open and stepped inside, throwing his bag in the corner or the room.

"What's wrong with you?"

I shrugged and walked inside, sitting down on the edge of the couch. I fidgeted with my hands and chewed on my bottom lip, trying to find the courage to ask about Tanya. I couldn't. I was too afraid to find out. Was there something between them? Had there been? It made me all sick and twisted inside and I really, really didn't like the way it felt. It may have been naïve and probably delusional, but I wanted to be the only woman ever. The fact that I wasn't, and the fact that I'd seen what he wanted made me ill.

"I don't know what's going on, but I need to take a shower. I've been on the go for more than twenty-four hours. When I get out, we'll talk. Okay?"

I shrugged again like a defiant teenaged bitch and grabbed the remote for the television. I flickered through channels but couldn't concentrate on anything. He finally gave up, sighed, and walked out of the room. Once he was gone, I let myself cry.

Our reunion was not going the way I imagined. I wanted him to pull me out of the truck, throw me over his shoulder, bring me into the house, and ravish me like he'd die if he had to wait another second without me. Instead, I got the dog watcher Barbie welcoming him home.

I wanted to be able to say that. Welcome home. The silly lovey-dovey girl in me had already daydreamed about our cohabitation and the whole happily ever after. Him rushing home to me, me waiting at the door with a smile and an apron and the smell of a hot fresh meal waiting for him inside. I'd always wanted that. Always.

When I was around ten years old, I had a friend, Emily. My mom used to pay her mom to take care of me after school. Her mom was like those you saw on television. Motherly and domestic. She baked cookies, had snacks for us when we got home, made homemade meals for the family every night, and helped us with our homework. One of the most memorable things about her was her husband. Mr. Barber was a salesman and he wore a suit to work every day. He came home every night at six o'clock on the dot, and every night, she met him at the door with a kiss. It made me so jealous that she had a mom and dad that were normal. So I pretended I was their real daughter, and I told her she was adopted and they wanted me more, and that's why I came over every day.

Needless to say, my big liar pants got busted. My mom decided my lie was due to her most recent divorce—of course. Because everything was about her. Within three months of that incident, I had a new stepdad. Mom quit her job since he wanted a housewife (which he didn't get by the way) and I had to stop going over to the Barber's after school.

That dad only lasted about six months, and then it was just me and Renee again. We moved out of Michigan, and headed down to Oklahoma where she dated every lazy, dumbass cowboy wanna-be within fifty miles before bottoming out and moving us yet again.

I'd been looking for normal forever. All my life, all I wanted was a family. I'd never really let myself imagine it until I met Edward. I imagined it, a life like that, but it all came into view, clear as crystal the day he agreed to go out with me.

I flipped the TV off, stood, and decided I had to get some air. The walls were warping around me and the waves were making me queasy. I stepped out on the porch and looked left to right. My feet wanted to jam, but my heart was tethered where I stood. I loved him. Loved. With all my heart. I was in so fucking deep, and so out of my element. I wasn't prepared for the complexity of it. I hurt. Every part of me.

It was bigger than I was. It overpowered my head, my heart, all of it.

There was a bench off to the side, underneath the big picture window, so I walked over and sat down, putting my head between my knees and took a deep breath. If there had been something between the two of them, I could deal with it. I'd get over it. Somehow.

He wanted me now. He brought me home, called me while he was out of town, and brought me flowers. No one did things like that for people they didn't like. I had to get a grip.

I wasn't sure how long I'd sat on that bench, but the door smacking against the wall inside startled me and I stood, looking over to the open doorway. Edward stood there, his eyes wide, staring at me with a frantic look on his face. He was only wearing a white towel, and holy hell, his chest. I couldn't drag my eyes away.

"What are you doing?" His voice was terse, and the tension rolled off him like thunder.

I couldn't answer. His body had rendered me mute. He was all wet and glistening, and fuck. Ripped. Mucsles packed on mucsles. I just stood and stared, unashamed. Good lord… I couldn't even breathe.

"Bella," he snapped. "I thought you left!"

My body jolted. I'd never heard him raise his voice, and between his angry eyes and his half-naked body, I was pretty much useless in the answer department.

"I was. I mean, I was going to leave. I just needed air. I was upset."

His lips pushed into a thin line, his nostrils flared, and his hands balled into fists at his side before he took two long steps toward me, grabbing my arm, and pulling me inside. Once the door slammed behind us, I found myself up against it, his body flush against mine, and my arms pinned to my sides.

"Why would you leave me? What did I do, Bella? What?" He slammed his fist against the door above my head and I flinched, looking down. His finger caught my chin and he lifted my face so we were eye to eye.

"Tell me what the fuck is going on, Bella."

I shook my head. I was turned on like a motherfucker, and the whole scenario was just too fantastic—but there was no way it was going to turn out the way I wanted it to.

"Who is Tanya to you?"

He narrowed his eyes. "This is about Tanya? Tanya? She's my neighbor, Bella. I drink beers with her husband on the weekends when I'm home. Her husband."

My chin quivered and the tears were already stinging my eyes. "I thought you and her, she and you… that you…"

He slammed his hand against the door again, and his warm breath washed over me in a heated rush. We were nose to nose and I could see that I'd pushed him over the cliff. He was more than pissed—I'd hurt him.

"I didn't know, okay."

My voice shook and the tears finally fell. I did not like what I'd done to him. My sweet Edward was beyond angry, and I wasn't sure I could fix it.

He tapped the top of my head with his finger. "Who fucked you up right here? What puts these stupid things in your head?"

Then I was angry. I was just a girl and I was confused, but I wasn't stupid. I'd been called stupid too many times in my life. That was one thing I could not, and would not ever tolerate.

"Fuck you! I'm not stupid! I'm not fucked up! I'm in love with you, and I was jealous! I want to leave. I want to go back to my life before you. Before you ruined it."

Oh, the word vomit and angry insults were bubbling up and spewing like a geyser. There was no stopping them. I struggled out of his grasp and tried to grab the doorknob, but he caught my arms again, and then wrapped his arms around me, lifting me off the ground, and walking me up the stairs kicking and screaming.

He tossed me on the bed, and then paced back and forth across the room. Finally, he stopped and turned to face me, pointing a finger at me.

"You think you're the only one that can yell and scream? You think I drive you crazy? Damn, woman, you have me all knotted up like a fucking maniac! You… you just…" He growled and began to pace again.

I just stared. He looked like an angry lion, all roar and power and sexy. I moved onto my knees so I could approach him, make him understand that I was sorry. It was dumb, but I had no control. A maniac was pretty close to the way I felt, too. I needed him to listen.

"Edward," I pleaded. "I didn't mean to make you this mad. I saw her, and she was so pretty. She seemed too comfortable around you, and I got jealous. I admit it, okay. I'm jealous. I don't want to share you with anyone. I just want you."

He chuckled and shook his head, and I marveled at the way his back constricted as he breathed. "I asked her to set up a romantic meal for us, so when we got home, I could tell you… fuck."

He turned around again and the anguish in his face was pure torture. He kneeled on the bed and heaven help me, I tried not to look. But the towel, and his leg, and oh my god, his dick…were right there. So I looked. Took a peek. Saw.

"Jesus," I whimpered.

Hands down, it was the hottest thing I'd ever seen. Him on his knees in front of me. By this time, the moisture from the shower had turned to sweat, and he was shimmering with it. Every nook and cranny of his body was there on display for me, and hot damn was it a beautiful thing. He grabbed my ankles and pulled me forward, lifting, and parting them so he was between them. Then, slowly, his eyes never leaving mine, he leaned over me, placing his hands on either side of my head.

"You have to make everything so damn difficult for yourself, don't you?"

I shook my head, not understanding.

"You do. I watch you, and I watch your brain go ninety miles an hour. What the fuck are you thinking about, Bella? What goes on up there?"

Before I could answer, he moved his hands under my back, and flipped us over so I was settled on top of him. He grabbed my face, holding both cheeks in his big, strong hands. "Say it again."

"I'm sorry?" I said, breathlessly.

"No, Bella. Tell me again, what you said downstairs."

I sucked down my breath and clenched my eyes tight. "God," I whispered. I'd said it. Out loud, I'd said it. Was that what made him angry?

"I love you," I whispered, opening my eyes to judge his reaction. "I've been in love with you since the first time you came in and ordered coffee. From that day, I've loved you."

He took a deep breath, but his face gave nothing away. "Why? Why do you love me?"

The answer was easy. "Because you make me feel like I matter. That I'm worth something. You make me happy. All the time."

He lifted his head and kissed me, his hands still holding my face. His lips and tongue made the world disappear. I dipped my tongue out to taste his lips and he moaned before flipping us, settling on top of me again.

"You're the only thing that matters, Bella. You're everything. Don't you know that already? You're everything."

He barely let me catch my breath, or absorb what he'd said before he was on me again, kissing the life out of me. I wrapped my arms around his back and let my legs gather up around his hips, pulling him in and closer. He kissed me everywhere, every inch of my face and neck and let his hands roam. I was swimming. This was it. His words, the sounds he was making, the big, huge hard-on he was stabbing me with. We were going there. Suddenly, everything I'd ever wanted exploded and grew ten times bigger. More wonderful than before.

"I love you so much, Bella. I fucking love you, too."

I smiled, letting my head fall back against the pillow while he licked and nipped at my neck and rubbed himself between my legs. He loved me. He actually loved me back, and I felt like the luckiest girl on the planet.

Until he stopped.

"What?" I asked. "Why are you stopping? Don't stop!"

He laid his head against my shoulder and sighed. "Baby, I'm not going to make love to you for the first time after a fight. It's bad enough we told each other I love you while we were angry. This isn't the way I saw this night going."

He let out a small chuckle, but I didn't see one damn thing funny about anything that was happening in that moment. Every drop of blood in my body was pulsing down there and I needed what he was packing under that towel. It was torture—getting to see it, feel it, and not touch it.

Oh, hell no.

I arched my feet and kicked at his ass with my heels. "Come on! I want you!"

He laughed loudly and lifted his head, smiling as he looked at me. "Are you kicking me like a horse?"

I scowled. "If the dick fits."

Leaning down, he pebbled several kisses against my lips, and then sat up, holding his hand out for me to take. "Come on, girlfriend. Let me treat you like a princess for once. I had this whole romantic evening planned. Let me make it up to you. Please."

I glared at him. I wasn't even sure I could walk. I definitely had the equivalent of blue balls, and I was seriously considering asking him to leave the room so I could rub it out real fast. Plus, he had a lot of nerve, standing there in his towel at full-mast.

I circled my finger around in the direction of that area. "You're just going to walk around like that? That's so not okay."

He looked down, and then looked back up at me, smirking. "How about I get dressed—for now. Maybe after dinner, we can change into matching towels."

Then he winked at me, walked over to the closet, and dropped the towel. I could almost see him smiling, even though he was facing the other direction.

"You're a real fucking tease, you know that?" My eyes were glued to the nice plump mounds of his ass, and I licked my lips.

"Stop staring at my ass," he sniggered.

I huffed and jumped off the bed. "You better cover it up before I come over there and bite it. Don't dare me, either, because you know I will." I walked out of the room, his laughter following me.

* * *

**Hi!**

**Thanks for reading! **

**Sorry I forgot to post yesterday! I am trying to post daily so it wraps up by the end of the month .**

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**Love Jami **


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

* * *

His overly friendly neighbor, Tawny, had left quite a spread for us. I couldn't stomach any of it. She gave me the creeps. No matter what Edward said, she wanted a piece of him. She gave off the vibe, and if anyone knew what the hot-for-Edward vibe was, it was me.

We retired to the living room after we cleaned up the food and found ourselves on the couch. It was my favorite place in his entire house. It was a comfy couch, wide and soft and warm, and we both fit perfectly. Snuggling was something very new to me, and it seemed like it was something Edward loved. I wasn't complaining, at all. It was probably the best thing I'd ever done in my life. I'd never felt more centered and happy than when I was wrapped up in his arms. I also loved his kisses. The soft ones, the hard ones, the silly ones. All of them.

"We play home on Thursday. Will you come watch?" I flipped over in his arms and smiled.

"You want me to?"

He nodded, letting his finger run up and down my cheek. "Of course. I need my girl there for luck."

"I'll come, sure. Can I bring Emmett? You know he won't love you anymore if you don't invite him."

He laughed. "Yeah, I planned on having him come along." He stared at me for a moment, his eyes sparkling. "It means a lot for you to come, Bella."

I leaned forward and pressed my lips to his. "I wouldn't miss it for the world. Thank you for wanting me there."

He wrapped his arms around me, rolled over so he was on top of me and kissed the breath out of me. I never got tired of his kisses. I wasn't even sure I knew how to live without them anymore.

"You're staying, right?"

I nodded against his chest, smiling. "Trying to get rid of me?"

He stood, abruptly and lifted me from the couch, threw me over his shoulder, and smacked me on the ass. "The only place you're going is in my bed. Come on. It's time to pick up where we left off."

I was excited about what was going to happen, but I wasn't sure I wanted to get my hopes up. If he got me upstairs, got me all hot and bothered and then put the brakes on again, I was going to shoot him. For reals.

I yelped when he threw me on the bed, causing him to chuckle. He crawled over, settled beside me, and pulled me against him. "You think I can see you in your panties?" He whispered.

I almost choked. Was that a trick question? I'd run around his room as naked as a bald eagle if he let me. I was sort of embarrassed about acting like such a big whore around him all the time. Maybe hard to get was the way to go. And then his fingers were in the waistband of my pants and my brain took a hike. I threw my leg over his, grabbed his face, and kissed him with all I had.

"Don't make me wait, Edward. Not anymore."

Flutters burst out in my belly when I felt him shake his head and push the zipper of my jeans down. He slid his hand underneath and rolled me over and settled between my legs. I helped him shove my jeans down my legs, leaving me in my underwear.

"Your skin is like butter," he rasped out. "I want it in my mouth."

I stopped breathing. Never, I mean, ever, had anyone said anything like that to me. In fact, I don't really remember any words as sexy as that coming out of the mouths of the losers I'd slept with in the past. Seriously, I wondered if I'd ever actually had real sex because it sure as fuck never felt like this, and our equipment hadn't even come out to play.

I'd probably faint when I finally got to touch his dick.

His lips were everywhere his hands weren't. I was paralyzed, lying there like a soggy noodle just letting him do whatever he wanted. It felt so damn good, I didn't want to distract him. I needed to feel those hands and his mouth on me. Those lips, that tongue, those hands.

As strong as he was physically, his touch was gentle. I felt his love in every caress. It was an experience I would never forget.

"Love you, Bella," he whispered in my ear before pulling it in between his teeth.

His hand moved between my legs, cautious, testing, and I wanted to scream for him to touch me already. Do it all, right away. All of it. He sat up and pulled his shirt over his head, revealing his strong chest, and those ungodly beautiful arms. I reached out and ran my hands over his pecs, down his chest to the ripples of his stomach, and back up again. He was a Goddamn wet dream. Everything about him was just perfection.

He threw the shirt across the room and went back to kissing me—this time starting at my belly and working his way upward, pushing my shirt up and over my chest. The cold air hit me, and my nipples hardened. I wasn't sure if it was due to the chill, or the way he looked at me.

"You're fucking gorgeous. Jesus…" he said. "Look at you."

"Look at you," I said. "You're like… all muscles and strong."

The glaze in his eyes softened, and his hands went to my face. "I'll be so good to you, Bella. I promise you, I will."

I had no doubt. He could be so bad, and I'd love it. Good, bad, and everything in between

"Let me make love to you, Bella."

Oh, the things he said to me. Unreal. Beautiful. Everything I wanted.

"God, yes." I tried not to sound desperate, but hell, I pretty much was. I needed to feel all of him, inside and out.

His fingers went into the elastic of my panties, and he slowly slipped them down my legs, his hands running over my skin. I was still basically unable to move. I was so enthralled with what he was doing, I didn't want to miss one second of it.

It'd never been that way for me. No one had taken the time to remove my clothes so thoughtfully, taken the time to take in each inch of me. His eyes wandered, and the look in them was one I'd never seen from him. It was hungry. He wanted me, and it made me feel powerful and beautiful.

I was in a daze watching him strip us both down, and in the back of my head I knew I should participate in some way, but it was so sexy watching him take the reins. He had plans—I could see it in his eyes, and I wanted to go wherever he took us. The ball was in his court. He knew I wanted him. And this. I'd all but humped his legs since the first time he touched me.

Once we were skin to skin, him anchored between my thighs, my legs wrapped around him, and my hands on his shoulders, and kissed me again. Slowly, gently, reverently. The love poured from his lips with promises and wishes and dreams.

Dreams I shared, wishes I'd had, and promises I meant to keep as well. This was it. This was everything I'd ever wanted.

His hand slipped between us, and softly, he rubbed between my legs. Just that simple touch was enough to have me bucking up into his hand.

"You're so wet," he whispered. "God, I can't wait any longer to be inside of you, Bella."

I didn't want to wait, either. "Please, I need you now."

"I need a condom," he whispered regretfully. He went to reach for one, and I stopped him.

"I take the pill. Every day. I never miss. Ever. I haven't had sex in a long time, either. You don't have to, but you can, if you want to. I don't know…" I rambled.

I'd never had sex without one, but I really wanted to feel Edward, completely. I trusted him, and I knew I was covered. I just hoped he'd feel the same.

A small growl escaped his throat and he was kissing me again. The no condom thing must have sounded good to him, too. Before I knew it, he was reaching down, and in he went, slow but firm. Every fucking mind-blowing inch of him.

"Jesus, Mary and Joseph," I breathed out. It was like the sky opened and little fat baby angels flew into my head with their harps and flutes, piping some heavenly little tune.

"Fuck," he groaned. "Damn, baby, you feel so good."

I wanted to agree, likewise. I had never felt so fulfilled, so right in my life. This was a man, and he knew what the fuck he was doing. Whatever I expected, this was so much better. So, so, much better.

I gripped his hair and pulled him down so I could look into his eyes. I wanted to see what they said. Those soft eyes, so full of love. I had never felt so close to another person my whole life. Every fiber of my being knew him. Needed him. I couldn't talk, could barely think, or hardly move. I was glad he wasn't one of those guys who wanted to talk while doing the deed. I just wanted to feel.

And feel I did.

He felt like heaven. So heavy and strong, and the sounds he made while he moved inside me made me dizzy. He tucked his head to pull a nipple into his mouth, flicking it with his tongue and then sucking it. All my muscles tightened. Every nerve was on fire.

I finally found the energy to join in and began rotating my hips to meet his thrusts.

"Yeah, baby, like that," he moaned. "Keep moving like that. So fucking sexy."

I felt sexy. Alive. I felt like the most beautiful woman in the world, and it was all because of the man on top of me.

"I love you," I cried as my orgasm started building up. He moved faster and harder, with so much passion and force I felt like I was going to go straight through the mattress. I finally understood the expression of seeing fireworks. Colors and lights and explosions lit up behind my lids, and I fell over the edge, shaking with the most intense orgasm I'd ever experienced.

He kissed every inch of my face, and then I felt it. He came with a roar and pressed his head into the nook of my neck. I rubbed my hands up and down his back, smiling up at the ceiling like an idiot while he relaxed on top of me, heavy and breathless. Thick tears fell from the corner of my eyes and ran down my face, coating the plush pillow underneath me.

The emotions he'd pulled out of me were just too much to handle. I wasn't sure why I was crying; I just was.

"Hey, hey, hey," he whispered, kissing at the corner of each eye before wiping my face with his fingertips. "What's the matter? Fuck, did I hurt you? Oh God, I hurt you!"

He jumped up and I grabbed for him, gripping his bicep tightly, pulling him back against me. "You didn't hurt me, I swear. I'm fine, I'm just… that was… I think my heart exploded."

The worried wrinkle on his brow softened, and he smiled down at me. "That was by far, the most perfect moment of my life, Bella."

I grabbed him around the neck and pulled him down tighter. "I never knew it could be this way. I never imagined."

He laid back and pulled me back against his chest. Kissing the top of my head, he sighed. "It's supposed to be like this, Bella. This is what it's supposed to be like, and I never want it to end. I meant what I said, Bella. I want this for always."

I snuggled against him and cried harder. "I can't believe I'm crying," I sniffed, laughing. "You fucking broke me."

He wrapped his arm around my waist, and I couldn't believe I had this. The most perfect man, basking in the afterglow of the best sex I'd ever had, and he was telling me he wanted me forever. How do things like that even happen?

"Bella, I want you to come home with me to meet my parents. When we play in Chicago next week and, I want you to come."

My breath caught in my throat. His parents? He was serious. This was happening to me, and I couldn't believe it.

I turned over in his arms and smiled up into his beautiful face. "Are you sure?"

He pushed my hair out of my face and kissed my nose. "If I don't bring you to my mom, she's going to show up here. She's excited. She can't wait to meet you."

It was like a giant neon light bulb hearing that. "Oh shit," I snapped, sitting up.

He looked confused. "You don't have to."

I waved my hands around in the air, shaking my head. "I totally forgot to tell you earlier. My crazy mother is coming to visit, and I can't get out of it."

He started to smile, but I pressed my finger to his lips. "This is not good news, Edward. My mother is the biggest pain in the ass, and I don't want her here."

"So tell her not to come."

I rolled my eyes. If only it were that easy. I so did not want to get into my mother's bullshit after what we'd just done. I was ruining everything. Or she was. Whatever.

"It's not that simple. Forget I said anything," I said, pushing on his chest so he was back against the mattress. "I just want to cuddle, and have you hold me. I only want to think about you."

He chuckled and hugged me against him. "I can deal with that."

He was damp with sweat and smelled delicious. I peeked my tongue out to taste him, and felt his chest rumble. "Did you just lick me?"

I nodded, embarrassed. I was such a spazz.

"That's fucking hot," he mumbled. "You're going to wear me out, Bella Swan. I knew it from the first day I met you."

"That sounds like a challenge, big hockey man. Are you sure you can't keep up?" He growled again, and I was really getting attached to that sound from him.

He grabbed my ass with both hands and pressed me down against his hardening erection.

"I think I can more than keep up, sweetheart."

* * *

**Thanks for reading!**

**I got a rec for you! I started and caught up with The Whispering Woods by ericastwilight last night and it's awesome! Perfect spooky stuff for this time of year. Plus, her stories are always awesome.**

**Thanks for the reviews too! I smile and swoon when I read each one!**

**Love, Jami**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

* * *

"That was freaking awesome!" Emmett bellowed, waving his hat around in the air like a goof.

The game had been fun, I had to admit. It was exciting watching Edward up close. Being there, in person, I could see his intensity and the love he had for what he did. He was graceful and talented and pretty bad ass. It was so freaking hot.

"You think they'll let us go in the locker rooms?"

I just rolled my eyes. Emmett just would not let up. If being around him at a hockey game was anything like having kids, I was getting spayed. I was sewing it up.

"Can you calm your ass down? You're embarrassing me, man."

He bounced on his toes and grinned down at me, unfazed by my annoyance. He was such a big child, and I felt like a bitch for grouching out at him. I was distracted, though. There were several dozen big-tittied girls crowding my man, and I needed to keep track of their hands. There were some grabby ones.

"He's a fucking God. Do you see that, Bella. A God."

I huffed. "Yeah, totally God-y. Does this go on all night, or what? I mean, he's sweaty! He hates being all sweaty. He probably wants to go take a shower and stuff. God, they are so damn rude!"

He chuckled and wrapped his big meaty arm around my shoulder. "Don't get jealous, little one. He only has eyes for you. He's just being a good sport."

It didn't make it easier. I was a jealous girl. Never had been, but that was before Edward. He was certainly someone to get jealous over. I just had an overflowing bucket of love for the guy. Loads and loads of love.

Just then, he made eye contact for me, and all doubt was gone. That smile was all for me, and God was it gorgeous.

"He's so hot," a girl standing next to me leaned in and whispered. "My friend Jackie met him a few months ago, and he signed her shirt; right over her boobs!"

I ground my teeth together and blew a long, heavy breath out of my nose. "How nice," I grunted.

"I know, right?" I wanted to deck her. She was about my size, but slim. Blonde with elfish features. She looked like a cheerleader, and I wondered if she was. She wore a Twilight jersey with Edward's number on the back over a pair of those tight stretchy pants and I hated her guts.

I was his girlfriend, so what the hell was she thinking wearing his number? I looked down at what I was wearing. A plain pair of jeans, sneakers, and a red hoodie. I wasn't even wearing the team's colors. I was the worst girlfriend ever, apparently, and I was letting these trollops get one over on me. Unacceptable.

"So, I'm totally going to pass him my number when I get up there to get my puck signed. I totally know where he hangs out. I know we'll end up hooking up."

Oh, brother. She was dead and she had no idea her lips were signing her death sentence. "He's taken, honey, so I wouldn't get my wigwam all cozy, if you know what I mean."

She gasped. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"I know, I know. You're _totally_ bummed. But if it makes the blow any easier, he's _totally_ hung like an elephant."

She looked like she wanted to get crazy, and I was close to taking the position and holding up my dukes. Bring it, bitch.

"_Totally_. It takes me hours, and I mean hours, to work his cock. I have to sleep with head gear now due to the lockjaw. And I'm just getting used to walking with the limp. The first month we were fucking, I was using a walker."

She huffed and walked away.

Emmett nudged me with his elbow. "You're just wrong, Bella." He laughed." At least you didn't tell her he had a small dick. I would have had to intervene."

"What do you know about his dick? Think about that much, Emmett?"

His ears reddened and he shook his head. "What is the matter with you? Jeez."

I looked up at Edward and he waved us over. I almost felt bad for saying those things to that girl, until I saw her snaking her way to the front of the line. Hooker. He reached out for me as we approached and handed over the magazine he'd been signing so he could wrap his arms around me. I squealed as he lifted me off my feet and twirled me around. I could feel his adrenaline pumping through him from the excitement.

I smiled so hard my cheeks burned.

"You're my good luck charm, baby! We won!"

He kept his arms around my waist, leaving my legs to dangle. His face was flushed, and his smile was huge. I could see so much happiness in his eyes and I was so grateful he'd asked me to be a part of it.

"You were awesome," I told him. "I love it when you kick ass."

He laughed, kissed me again, and then twirled me around. I needed to get him home and naked and putt some of that enthusiasm to good use.

"Cullen!" Someone from the crowd yelled. "Is that your girlfriend?"

I ducked my head into his shoulder and giggled. I wasn't embarrassed, but it was suddenly weird to be making out with him in front of a bunch of people. And people with cameras, at that.

"Come on, Cullen! Introduce us to your girl!"

"She must be why he's been playing so well! Killer Cullen's in love!"

"Does this mean you're off the market?"

"What's her name, Edward?"

They were coming from all directions, and I was dizzy with all the voices. They started closing in on us, so he shifted me on his hip like a little kid and faced them.

"You're all right. She's my good luck charm. She's the girl of my dreams, and I'm madly in love."

I watched the faces of the slew of girls waiting to get their boobs signed, and smiled triumphantly. Sure, it was probably the cheesiest thing I'd ever heard, but when it related to me, and coming from him, it was also the most romantic and sweet thing I'd ever said by a man.

And I sooo wanted to ride him like a rabid Shih Tzu. For hours.

I leaned in and pressed my lips to his ear. "I fucking love you so much."

He squeezed me tighter and I could hear the low groan come from deep in his chest. It was another one of those moments I would never forget.

"Can you carry me around like this all the time?" I teased.

He laughed, set me down on my feet, and leaned down to whisper in my ear. "I'll only be about thirty minutes, and then you're all mine."

Goosebumps exploded on my skin. I nodded, stumbled back a bit, and stared at him as he walked back into the locker room, smirking.

*****Slapshot*****

I woke up to Edward's warm fingers running back and forth across my stomach. It tickled, but in that awesome way where it wasn't annoying, but arousing. I honestly could barely move. We hadn't gone to sleep until well after three in the morning after he fucked my brains out for hours. I was in no way complaining. It was more than amazing, but I was surprised he was awake, much less trying to hump me.

"You're a real horny bastard, you know that," I mumbled, pushing my ass back against him.

He chuckled and kissed my neck before moving his hand further down, teasing me with his fingers. "I can't get enough."

I moaned when I felt him against my ass cheeks, knowing exactly how he felt. So what? I couldn't walk. Walking was over-rated anyway. All I wanted to do was screw Edward all day and all night, and if he wanted to do it standing up, he'd just have to hold me. There was no reason for legs in my future.

"Obviously," I laughed. "I think I unleashed a monster. What happened to that sweet gentleman that was afraid of watering my plants?"

He reached between us and pushed his cock inside of me. The way he filled me, touched me, loved me, was like a fucking Atom bomb. I felt it everywhere. Inside and out.

"I love you, Bella," he whispered against the back of my neck. "All I want to do is love you. In every way, I want to show you how much I love you."

I shuddered.

"I want to ask you something, and I don't want you to freak out or act weird."

Even though he couldn't see my face—and thank God for that—I scrunched my eyebrows and frowned. What the hell kind of dirty talk was that?

"Can we leave conversation for later? I can't think when I'm full of your dick! Jesus," I panted.

He bucked into me, hard and fast, pulling my leg over his hip so he could hit me deeper. Harder.

"I want you to be here. All the time. I want you here when I wake up, so I can make love to you before I start my day. I want to fuck you before I fall asleep. Every day. I need you with me."

He thrust into me faster, his rhythm becoming more rushed and urgent. I was dizzy. His words slammed against my brain like a freight train. He wanted me. Needed me. I wasn't sure what to think. I couldn't. Was it too soon? Who the hell knew? I sure as hell didn't know, and it wasn't like I could confer with someone who would know while I was in a sex coma.

Did I want to live with him? Yes. I knew I did. Even if it meant I was a needy weirdo. I wanted the same things. I'd wanted them before I'd even stepped foot in his house.

"Yes, yes," I cried. "Fuck, please."

At that point, all the blood in my body was looking for shelter down below, but I was clear enough to know I was answering his question. No matter how incoherent it was.

We were doing this. I was moving in. With him.

"I'm gonna come," he said through a grunt.

He snapped his hips against my backside twice, then came so hard it made me want to cry. There was nothing more spectacular than his face when he lost it.

He fell back against the mattress, taking me with him, my back to his chest. We were both breathing like a couple of chain smokers, but damn, it was a beautiful feeling. I could see the sun peeking through the crack in the blinds, and lifted my head to check on the time.

"Call in sick," he grumbled. "I want you here all day. We'll go get all your stuff from your apartment."

I let out a small laugh. "In a hurry?"

He flipped me over so I was facing him. "Yeah, I am. I want to make sure you're all settled in before we go to Chicago."

Chicago.

I was so nervous about meeting his family. What if they thought I was a freak? What if his mom didn't like me? I remember this boyfriend my mom had once, and his mother hated Renee. She'd come to dinner and the next day, Mark broke up with my mom. She told me that day, at the tender age of ten, that whatever I did in life, I always had to make a good impression on parents.

Looking back, I was pretty sure Mrs. Johnson could smell the desperation on my mother. Mark was filthy rich, and my mom saw a nice cushy life with that guy. He was nice, don't get me wrong, but I think his mother could tell my mom was nothing but trouble. In a tattered wicker basket with bows.

I pushed his hair away from his face and smiled. "This is all super crazy."

He sighed. "Are you having second thoughts now? Don't over think it. Please, Bella. I'm out of town a lot during the season. I'd feel better knowing you were here. I want you here when I'm home. I don't want you to feel uncomfortable about it, so if you're not sure, we'll wait. I won't force you."

I pressed my face against the pillow and groaned. "I want to, believe me. I'm just sort of dizzy with all of it. What about your mom? She's going to think I'm… I don't even know." I laughed at my ignorance and slammed my eyes shut. I was so bad at being a girlfriend.

"My mom knows I love you. She knows you make me happy. That's all she cares about, Bella. Just relax."

Another thought occurred to me. "I need to call my mom. She's supposed to be here, and I don't know how she's going to handle this."

He leaned over and kissed me, and then jumped out of bed. "Call your mom and handle that. Do whatever you have to do. I'm going to fix us something to eat, but I don't want you to leave this bed."

I heard nothing. I saw everything. "Screw food. Get back in this bed."

Two hours later, I'd called in sick for work, explained the new situation to Rosalie, and Edward and I spent the rest of the day in bed. Rosalie was excited for us, but worried about the whole living together, too.

She just wanted me to think it through. She knew how I was, and she was concerned that I was rushing into it. I wasn't. I was fully ready to just go for it. For the first time in my life, I knew exactly what I wanted.

Later in the afternoon, I decided to get up and make us something to eat, and do some laundry. We'd dirtied up his bedding pretty good, and I'd managed to leave half my wardrobe on his bedroom floor. He'd fallen asleep on the couch, resting up for his game, so I thought it'd be a sweet thing to do for him while he slept.

I stripped the bed, and then stripped myself, throwing in a load before heading into the kitchen. There were only a few things I could make, so I decided on pasta. I put the noodles on the stove to boil, and went back into the laundry room to switch the loads of laundry. I was having a good time being domestic. I was in such a good mood. I had some music going, and was prancing around his house in my panties, and it felt so homey.

Until I walked out of the laundry

I couldn't contain my smile, or stop my hips from shaking. That was until I came out of the laundry room and found Edward and another man standing in the kitchen, smiling and staring at me. I screamed, rushed back into the laundry room and slammed the door.

I could hear them laughing. I could've died.

"Why didn't you tell me someone was here? Jesus!" I screamed.

"How was I supposed to know you didn't have clothes on?"

I rolled my eyes. How indeed. But he'd been asleep, and we were alone. He hadn't said anything about having company over. "What am I supposed to do?" I whined.

I was embarrassed and I just wanted to cry. I could hear Edward asking the guy to wait for him in the other room, and then he was knocking on the door. "Let me in, sweetheart. He's in the other room."

I pulled the door open, holding a towel up in front of me. He was smiling, so sweet and understanding.

"I'm so sorry," he said, pulling me in his arms. "God, you're so cute."

I whined against his chest. "I'm in my underwear! My ugly underwear, at that!"

"I like your ugly underwear. I could get used to you doing housework dressed like this."

I smiled. Pervert.

"I was doing nice things. I wanted to wash the linens from the bed and wear clean clothes today. I feel stupid. Who is that?"

He rubbed his hand up and down my back and chuckled. "That's Sam. He's on the team with me, and he came by to give me a ride tonight. I wanted you to have my truck in case you needed to go to your apartment or something."

I stepped back and shook my head. "For the hundredth millionth time. I can NOT drive that damn truck. I can have Rosalie come get me, or call a cab. Ugh," I groaned. "Why didn't you tell me?"

He grabbed my face and leaned in to kiss my cheek. "We need to figure out some transportation for you."

I turned around, and rolled my eyes. "I've been saving for for a car, but honestly, I haven't really had a use for one. I can walk to work, and whenever I go somewhere, Rosalie usually takes me. I'll get one in a month or two."

I felt his hands on my shoulders. "I'm not trying to boss you around. You know that, right?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I know. I can't drive that freaking crazy truck. Don't worry so much. I'm a big girl, remember? I can manage. I always do."

"Hey," he said softly. "Look at me."

I turned around and looked up at him. "You don't have to worry about Sam. He won't make it weird at all. If it makes you feel better, he said I'm a lucky bastard." He smirked, and the way his eyes lit up made me smile.

It felt good knowing he was proud of me—even in my ugly end of the week underwear. "Can you go get me a t-shirt and some sweats or something to wear? I threw my clothes in the washer."

He nodded, and walked us backward until I was pressed up against the washing machine. His eyes had that look, and I could definitely feel that he had other things in mind.

"No way," I said, shaking my head. "Not with your friend in the house. There is no way we're going there right now. He already thinks I'm some hooker housekeeper."

His hands slid down my sides, and he reached around to grab my ass. "I should probably work off some of this aggression before my game. I'll probably play better if you work it out of me"

My legs started wobbling. It was near impossible telling him no. But I did.

"Nice try, hockey boy. You need to have all that aggression for the game. Save it for later."

"You're moving in tomorrow, right?"

I nodded. "Yup. I'm moving in."

He kissed me hard, hands still on my ass and his hard-on still stabbing me in the hip bone. I was going to have to quit my job just to keep up with his sexual appetite. I was worn out, and I wanted to laugh at the girl who was dying and begging for it only weeks before. The boy was out of control.

Again, no complaints.

"Go get me clothes. I want to at least meet him so he doesn't think I'm a freak or something."

"Love you," he said, kissing me softly one more time. "I'll be right back."

I waited until he returned with my clothes, threw them on quickly, and then followed him into the other room where Sam was waiting. He was handsome, almost as big as Edward, and had the sweetest, friendliest, smile ever. I was still sort of embarrassed, so I hung behind Edward until he introduced us.

"Sam, this is my Bella. Bella, this is my friend, Sam."

He stood and held his hand out for me to take. "It's nice to finally meet you, Bella. This guy has done nothing but talk about you for, shit, a long time

I liked him instantly. And I was so grateful he wasn't going to make things weird after seeing my butt.

"Glad to meet you, too. Edward told me a lot about you and your wife, too. He said we were going to go to dinner with you guys when the season was over."

He smiled. "Yeah, he's been kind of stingy about you. My wife, Emily, really wants to meet you."

I smiled up at Edward, and he reached down to grab my hand. "You'll like Emily. She's really sweet."

"I'd like that."

"Well, we better get going. We hit the ice in a couple hours, and you know how coach gets."

"I'll grab my things," Edward said. "Bella, come with me?"

"Okay." I smiled at Sam. "I'm glad I got to meet you, and I apologize for earlier."

He waved his hand and smiled. "Nah, no sweat. You youngsters are in love. I'm just glad this clown managed to find a good-looking chick. It would have been awkward if I had to cover my eyes."

I gasped, and then laughed. Sam was all right.

"Watch it, asshole," Edward said, laughing.

"See you soon, Bella."

I waved back at him. "Good luck tonight." I followed Edward to his room and stood in the doorway while he gathered his things.

"You've got your pass, right?"

I nodded. "Yes, and Emmett's. We'll be there."

He swung his bag over his shoulder and stood in front of me. "You make me so fucking happy. This is right, baby. This is where you belong."

I wanted to cry. He always had the most perfect things to say. "Kick some ass, but be careful because I love you."

"I love you, too."

* * *

**Thanks so much for reading!**

**Glad you guys enjoyed Bella finally getting the D! I mean, she'd been so patient *snort***

**Hugs to all of you who left reviews. Again, I can't tell you how happy they make me. **

**See y'all tomorrow. Have a beautiful Saturday**

**Love, Jami**


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

* * *

"Are you sure you don't want me to go in with you?"

I laughed. "No. Go do whatever you need to do. I'll be fine. Rose is coming over in a little bit to help me go through things. I need a little bit of time alone. I don't know why. I just need to do this, okay?"

Edward looked skeptical.

"I'll miss you." I blew him a kiss, slammed the truck door, and heading backward toward my apartment.

He waited until I went inside, of course, and I sighed once I got in the door. I felt bad. I knew he didn't understand why I had to do this alone. I wanted a few hours to myself in my old apartment. There was a teeny tiny part of me that was scared to let it go. It was home for a while. The first home I'd ever had on my own. I'd felt safe there, had fun there, and even though I was excited about moving into Edward's big, comfy house, there was a nagging in the back of my head.

All I was giving up was a crappy little apartment. But it was all mine, and that was a big deal to me. Yes, I'd gain a whole lot more by leaving, that small part was sad. I felt at home at his house, and the more I was there, the more it felt right. We could build something amazing there.

I was willing to let go of that little independence I'd worked so hard to gain. However, I had no intention of letting him take care of me. At least financially. I had a job—not a good one—but I was working on changing that, too. I wanted to contribute, and even though we hadn't had the chance to discuss that part of the arrangement, it was on the top of my to-do list.

I loved how he wanted to do nice things for me and treat me like a queen, I mean, what girl doesn't want that? I'd be a big fat liar if I'd said I didn't. I did. Every time I got flowers delivered when he was out of town, I did little spins and twirls inside. I'd never been doted on, or even had anyone pay attention to me the way he did. It was fucking awesome, but I wanted to do nice things for him, too.

Even Steven.

It was a completely foreign concept as far as what I'd seen in relationships—even with Rose and Emmett. Yes, he loved her, and he was the bread winner in the family, but that woman waited on him hand and foot. I wasn't going that far—mostly because I wasn't equipped to do so. I was a shitty cook, a half-assed housekeeper, and I would forget my head if it wasn't attached to my neck half the time.

No, I wasn't perfect, but I wanted to be the best I could for us. I wanted our relationship to work, to grow, to succeed. I wanted to be a quirky little old couple holding hands in the park one day, sitting on a bench sharing an apple and griping about the hoodlum kids. Whatever it took, I was in it for the long haul.

I threw my bag down and glanced around my living room. It was a fucking disaster area, and I briefly considered just throwing all my crap in trash bags and tossing them to the curb.

"What in the hell am I going to do?" I decided to start with the bedroom section of the room. I definitely needed clothes and shoes. The bed wasn't coming with me, but I was taking my soft fluffy purple blanket.

I had an old suitcase my mom had given me years and years ago, and I'd hung onto it all along. Every move, every vacation, every middle of the night escape. It was like an old friend. A little tattered, but full of stories and memories. I pulled it out from under the bed and started pulling things from the closet and tossing them inside. I didn't have much, so it didn't take long. I zipped it up, and stacked it at the door, startling when I heard a knock.

I groaned. "Freaking Edward."

He probably turned around and came right back. He didn't want me dealing with all this crap alone. I wanted to punch him for it. For being the perfect boyfriend, and for not listening to me. All of it.

I swung the door open and found my mom standing there instead.

"Mom? I thought we decided you weren't going to come."

We'd talked. I told her I didn't have time to deal with her. She agreed to deal with her own shit. In pure Renee fashion, that all flew out the window and she did what she wanted to do anyway.

She rolled her eyes. "It's nice to see you, too, sweetheart. Are you going to let me in, or make me stand out here like the pizza man?"

I smirked. "Did you bring pizza?"

"Har, har," she teased as she pushed past me and walked in. "Give your old mom a hug."

I shut the door and hugged her, and I surprised myself by squeezing her tighter. I had missed her. She was a pain, and she was crazy, but I hadn't realized just how much I'd missed her.

For a long time, she'd been all I had in the world. It was hard to forget that.

"Ahh, I missed you, too, sweetie."

I felt my eyes tear up, and let go, wiping the tears away on my sleeve. "Why didn't you call? You said you worked things out and were staying when we talked two days ago. Did something happen?"

She put her purse on the counter and sighed. " I do love him, Bella. He swears he will go to counseling, and that this was the first time this has happened. But there were several women. I have all the texts. So I don't know what to think. That's why I'm here. I needed to get away, and I missed you. I wanted to see how you were doing out here."

I huffed. "You came to spy on me."

Settling on the edge of my sofa, she folded her hands and crossed her legs at the ankles. "Maybe a little. I'm curious about this little boyfriend of yours."

I knew it.

"He's not little, and I don't think I like the way you're acting. This is serious. I love him—with all my heart. This is for real. He's asked me to move in."

She stared at me, shocked. "Are you getting married?"

"No, Mom. I'm just moving in."

I had a feeling she was going to start pushing. I didn't want to analyze things any more than I already had. I'd end up freaking myself out again, and I wasn't in the mood.

"Sounds like he wants an easy booty call, Bella. If he cared about you, he'd propose first, and then move you in. What are his intentions?"

I threw my arms in the air and screamed. "I don't know? Maybe he likes having me around! Is that so hard to believe? He likes me, mom. He's so good to me. He's amazing. I have never, ever, been this happy. Can you not fuck this up for me?"

She stood and scrambled across the room, grabbing me by the shoulders. "I'm not trying to mess this up. I can see how much you love him, Bella, and that scares me. I've never seen you like this. I'm happy for you, sweetie. I just don't want you getting your heart broken."

My chin began to quiver, but I pushed it back. I wasn't letting her bring me down. I was walking down an amazing road—a scary road—but I was excited. She had to back off.

"Don't cry. I didn't mean for you to get so upset. I'm your mother, and I know I've messed up. A lot. That's why I'm trying to give you some advice. You haven't known this man for very long, and I just worry."

Honestly, it felt good hearing her say she worried about me. She hadn't worried about me for a long time, so the little girl inside me craved it. However, I knew Edward. I knew him better than I knew anyone else. In the short span of time we'd been together, we'd bonded in a very special way. There was something significant going on—something she obviously didn't understand.

"I know it's fast. I know it's totally impulsive, and maybe it's a mistake, but I would regret it for the rest of my life if I didn't find out one way or the other. Having my heart broken by Edward isn't the scary part, Mom. The scary part is never giving him my heart in the first place."

I watched as her eyes filled with tears. Her smile grew. "My baby girl," she whispered. "How'd you get so smart?"

I laughed through my tears wiped at my eyes. "I had no choice. My mother was a moron."

She smacked me in the arm, and then pulled me close and held me tight. It was the weirdest feeling, standing up to her. I'd given in to her my entire life, but I was never giving up Edward.

"Okay, I think this calls for Chinese, chocolate ice cream, and black and white movies. What do you say?"

I was about to agree, but I remembered that Rose was on her way to help me pack. "Rosalie is coming over to help me pack. Edward wants me to move in, like, now."

She laughed. "Well, good thing I'm here. I can help you girls pack, and she can join us for a little slumber party. I've been looking forward to meeting her. Speaking of meeting, when do I get to meet this handsome young man who swept my daughter off her feet?"

I laughed. There it was. "I don't know, Mom."

There was a knock on the door, and I laughed to myself as I went to answer it. My apartment had never seen so much action. I opened the door to a smiling Rosalie, dressed in bright yellow sweats and a black t-shirt and sneakers.

"You ready to blow this joint?"

I launched myself at her, so happy to see her face, and so thankful she was willing to help me. "I'm so glad you're here."

"So, this is the famous Rosalie," my mother chirped from behind me.

Rosalie's eyes narrowed, and then snapped up to focus on my mother. "It is. And you must be the famous deadbeat mother."

I groaned and pinched the bridge of my nose tight. In all the commotion, I'd forgotten all the animosity Rosalie had for my mother.

"Well, this is turning into a really bitchen day. Fuck my life."

I held my breath, hoping Rosalie would just let it drop, but I wasn't that lucky.

"What are you doing here? You heard Bella was dating Edward Cullen, so you just had to worm your way in to see what you could get?"

I gasped, and turned to face my mother. She was livid.

"How dare you. You don't even know me."

Rosalie laughed. "I know enough, Renee. I know that almost two years ago a little girl in shambles found her way into my life, and I've watched her blossom and grow into such a wonderful, amazing woman. I know she didn't feel deserving of the love and friendships she'd been offered, and that's because of you."

"I love my daughter! You have no idea what you're talking about."

Rosalie scoffed. "I'll be damned if you do anything to mess up her relationship with Edward. She's happy."

"Rosalie," I said softly, grabbing at her arm. "Stop."

She shook her head at me, rage and determination on her face. "No. Bella, I understand she's your mother, but I'll be damned if I let her mess with you."

I turned toward my mom. "Mom, can you give me and Rosalie a moment?"

My head spun. I'd never seen Rosalie so upset, and it bothered me. I knew she cared about me, a lot, but she was going absolutely ballistic on my mom. My mom looked like she didn't want to leave, but finally, nodded and spun around, and went outside.

"Rosalie, you can't just attack my mother. She hasn't started anything, I swear."

She did not look convinced. "Bella, isn't it just a little strange that she shows up now? I mean, come on! I don't want you falling for her shit. You're not her mother—she's not your responsibility to save anymore She never was, actually. The whole dynamic between you two is fucked up. You need to live your life, and she needs to let you do it."

I understood that, and honestly, I agreed with her. "Look, I'm not letting her do anything. I'm moving in with Edward no matter what anyone says. If it's a mistake, oh well. It's my mistake to make. I'm not going to let anyone influence me on this."

She took a deep breath. "Good. That's all I'm saying. I want you to do what's best for you."

I smiled and hugged her around the waist. "I am. Just like we talked about earlier—I'm young and in love and I just want to live."

She ruffled my hair. "That's my girl. Now, does this mean I have to hang out with your mother all day?"

I laughed. "Yeah… I'm afraid we're stuck with her. I don't know what else to do."

She rolled her eyes. "Do I have to be nice?"

"Ugh. Yes, please. I was all excited about this, and now it's a huge clusterfuck."

"We'll manage. I promise. I'll shut my mouth, or at least try."

"Thank you. Thank you for everything. I know I've been a shitty employee lately."

She laughed loud, startling me. "You're always a shitty employee. Don't worry about it."

I started to argue, but she was right.

"Mom," I called out. "You can come back."

She walked back into the room slowly, her face drawn and sad. It gutted me. She was a horrible mother, but she really wasn't a bad person. She was insecure and lonely and so deeply sad. Now that I had Edward, I knew what her problem was. She was just looking for someone to make her whole again.

"Can we all just start over again? Mom, this is my boss, landlord, and best friend, Rosalie. Rose, this is my mom, Renee."

Rosalie pressed her lips into a tight line and tried to make it look like a smile and held her hand out to my mother. "Nice to meet you."

My mom shook her hand, smiled, and answered. "It's nice to meet you, as well. I really hope you'll give me a chance, Rosalie. You're very important to my daughter, and I want you to know that I do appreciate what you've done for her."

Rose smiled over at me. "I haven't done much. She works and pays me rent. I don't do her any favors. She's a very responsible and smart woman."

"She always has been," my mother gushed. "I guess if anything, she learned that from taking care of me all these years." She took a deep breath. "All I ever wanted was better for her."

"Well, she has it. She's got a great future ahead of her."

It felt weird listening to them talk about me, so I decided to stop their conversation before I had a stroke. "Okay, she is in the room, and she is sick of listening to you guys talk about her like she's dead, so can we get some food and then get started on this apartment? I need to move in with my fuck-hot boyfriend as soon as possible. Seriously. I need to be there."

Rosalie grabbed her phone from the pocket of her purse and started dialing. "How's Chinese?"

My mom looked over and we both laughed.

"Oh, this is a cute little trio," my mom chirped. "Chinese is perfect."

An hour later, the three of us were sprawled across my living room floor, fat and full from too much Orange Chicken and Chow Mein, and digging through my old shoe box full of old pictures.

"Bella, did you ever have front teeth? These pictures span years, and you never have your two front teeth."

I groaned. "I lost my front teeth in first grade, and it took almost the whole year for them to grow in. Then, when I was in third grade, I fell out of the bathroom window when I had to crawl in to unlock the door because my mom lost the keys to the house. Knocked both of them out on the soap dish in the bathtub."

They both roared with laughter.

"It's not funny, assholes. Anyway, who cares? I was still pretty damn cute."

"Yes you were," Rosalie said, kissing the top of my head. "You and Edward will make the cutest babies on the planet. With your pretty skin and those green eyes of his. Even your little nose. They will be gorgeous."

"Oh, grand babies!" my mother howled. "I never thought I'd say this, but I can't wait to be a grandmother!"

She was drunk, or near to it. We'd polished off two bottles of the cheap crap wine I had in the cupboard, and they were seriously getting on my last nerve.

"I'm not having babies yet. Don't trip."

"But, Bella! Babies are wonderful."

"Jesus," I huffed. "I'll be right back. I need to call my future baby daddy. It's getting late and he's sent me fifty text messages already."

I got up and went into the kitchen, not that it gave me very much privacy. It was literally five steps away. He picked up on the first ring.

"How are you, sweet girl? Are you ready for me to bring you home?"

My heart pitter-pattered in my chest. The way he said home made me soar.

"Um, how disappointed would you be if I stayed here tonight?"

He was quiet for a moment, and I worried he was pissed. "Very. Terribly."

Sighing, I sat on the counter and banged my head against the cupboard. "My mom showed up."

"Really?"

"Mmm," I hummed. "She's drunk. So is Rosalie. We're sort of having a weird ritual bonding thing. I'm freaked out."

He laughed. "You want me to come save you? Are you okay?"

I smiled at his concern. "I'm fine. Now. It was touch and go earlier, but it's entertaining watching them be drunk old ladies."

I peeked in at them, and watched as they giggled at the pictures. "I miss you."

He groaned. "I want to come get you. I miss you like crazy. I was shitting my pants thinking you changed your mind."

I laughed. "Not going to happen. I love you and I want this. I'm ready, Edward." I hesitated. "I think I need this, though. I kind of like my mom right now, and maybe one more night in my own place will be good."

"I understand, baby. You do whatever you need to do. I'll be here and ready for you whenever you want. If you need me to come rescue you, I will."

I giggled. "I know. Thank you for being so patient."

His chuckle sent chills up my spine. "You're lucky I love you. I'm not patient when it comes to you, baby. I'm going to be fucking miserable."

"Ahh. Dream of me. I'll be dreaming of you, too."

He groaned and I knew it was time for me to get off the damn phone. I was a second away from ditching the old broads and climbing out the window to go to him. "I love you."

"Love you, too, Bella. Tomorrow, right?"

I closed my eyes and smiled. "Yes, tomorrow." There was silence for a moment, but neither of us wanted to hang up. I let out a little laugh. "I don't want to hang up."

"I don't either," he admitted. "I want to come over, but I don't want to intrude."

I smiled at the phone. We were failing at this being away from each other stuff. "Just come. I'm not even going to pretend I don't want you here. Come save me from them."

"I'll be there in twenty."

I could hear the smile and relief in his voice, and that made me happy. We were ridiculous and stupid in love and who cared? For once in my life, I was going all the way. I clicked the phone off and strolled into the living room.

"Edward's coming over. Will you two behave yourselves?"

I was talking more to my mother than to Rosalie, but I didn't want to be a complete bitch and call her out. It was finally calming down, and I didn't want to stir things up again. It was unnecessary. She pretty much had her ass handed to her by Rosalie, and she was actually behaving like a decent human being. I wanted things to be peaceful.

"Oh!" my mom exclaimed. "I can't meet him looking like this. What will he think?"

I rolled my eyes. "He won't care, probably. You look fine. What are you going to do?"

She stood and wiped her hands on her slacks. "I just need to freshen up. You never know, this could be the first time I meet my future son-in-law. I don't want him to think I'm a slob."

That was hilarious. I was the slob and he was mad about me. My mother was never a slob. She was always dressed to the nines and primped within an inch of her life. She probably had more hairspray in her hair than half the city. In fact, she was the only person I knew that used hairspray.

"Mom, you look fine. Look at me—I'm in my pajamas. He won't care, I promise. Besides, he's not coming to see you anyway. He's coming for me. We miss each other, so he's just coming to say hi, or whatever."

She clasped her hands over her heart and batted her cakey eyelashes. "That is just the most romantic thing I've ever heard."

She turned to Rosalie. "Are they always like this?"

Rose gave me a warm smile and nodded. "Always. They are pretty much perfect, like I said."

I'd had enough.

"I'm going to pick up a little. I hate it when he sees my house look like this.

Rosalie jumped into action with me, while my mother headed into the bathroom to make friends with her Mary Kay collection.

"I hope she doesn't say anything stupid," I mumbled, pulling a trash bag out of the cupboard. "She says the stupidest things sometimes."

Rosalie laughed. "Like mother, like daughter."

"I don't even know why he's coming. This is pretty dumb. I'm not ready for him to meet Renee yet."

She waved me off. "It'll be fine, Bella. I'm here if you need me to shut her up. I think it's sweet that you two can't be apart."

Sweet or psychotic. I wasn't sure which was more correct. I just knew that I fell in love with his arms around me while I slept, and even one night was going to be torture.

"What am I going to do if this lasts? He travels all the time for games. I'm going to be miserable. Shit," I snapped. "I didn't think this through. There's so much to deal with."

She grabbed me by the shoulders. "Calm down, would you? I know you, Bella, and you're going to freak out and second guess everything. I can just imagine the melt down you're going to have the first time you have to take an actual dump in his toilet. Your head is going to explode."

My eyes widened. "Oh my God! He's going to know I poop!"

She groaned. "See? Chill out. Everything is new and it's going to be a learning and growing experience for both of you. You need to just roll with it. I understand your neurotic thoughts. I've gotten used to them. This is why I am begging you to just stop. Don't stress on things you can't change. Okay?"

I hung my head.

"Like my mother."

"Yes. Like your mother. She might embarrass you, and you might want to run and hide, but she's your mom. You can't get away from this now. She's here. Get it over with and you're done with it. You'll never have to introduce her to him again. He'll already know her, and it's done."

My shoulders sagged with relief. "I really hit the jackpot when I met you, Mrs. McCarty. That husband of yours is really freaking lucky."

She laughed and kissed the top of my head. "You bet your sweet ass he is. Now, see? I married the dumb bastard even after meeting his mother—and let me tell you, that old bag of crazy hates my guts!"

That seemed unbelievable to me. How could anyone hate Rosalie?

"Well, I think you're the bee's knees," I said with a smile.

"All right, smart ass. Now, come on. Your apartment smells like public transportation. Let's get this cleaned up."

It only took us a few minutes to clean up, and before I knew it, the rumble of Edward's truck was out front, and my nerves hit the roof. I ran to the door, breathed deeply, and muttered softly. "It's make it or break it time, Cullen. If you can survive Renee Bradford-Swan-Black-Connelly-Smith-Dwyer, you are definitely the man of my dreams."

I swung the door open and waited for him to walk up to meet me. He looked adorable, and I could see he'd been ready for bed before he decided to come over. He wore navy blue basketball shorts, a thin white t-shirt, sneakers, and a blue ball cap, backwards.

"Holy Mary Mother of all that is hot and fuckable," I whispered to myself.

Yeah, I was really glad he showed up. I was in such deep shit with him. I was officially a clingy, pathetic girl, and I wasn't even ashamed.

"Hey, baby," he said, holding out a bundle of flowers as he approached. "Damn I missed you."

I grabbed the beautiful flowers and flung myself at him, wrapping my legs around him and my arms around his neck. "You have to stop being so perfect. I can't handle it."

He chuckled and then pressed his lips to mine. "I'm far from perfect, but if you think so, I like it."

"I do," I said, running my fingers through the hair peeking out from underneath his cap. "And I really like you in a hat. Very sexy."

He closed his eyes and smiled a lazy smile. "This was a stupid idea, you know that? It's really gonna suck going home alone."

I leaned my forehead against his and sighed. "I know. I think it's going to be okay, though. We can't get too used to sleeping in the same bed. I might die in the night when you're away. I'm going to be so lonely."

Yes, I went there. Whatever. It was the truth, and I knew he wouldn't think any differently of me for admitting I was so attached. He seemed to be just as needy, so we were both pathetic.

"Are you going to let him in?"

I groaned. "You love me for reals, right?"

"For reals."

"Good, because behind me is the most annoying woman you will ever meet. If you think I'm crazy, you are in for a surprise." I loosened my grip on him and slid down. "Come on, handsome. It's time to meet Renee."

I grabbed his hand and pulled him behind me, dreading the moment my mom decided to open her mouth. Hopefully, she's just be speechless once she got a good look at him. The same as I had been. He had that effect. Of course, she was waiting in the doorway like a kid on Christmas, and I just wanted to crawl into a hole.

On the bright side, at least I only had to introduce him to one parent. Charlie Swan wasn't worth two cents in my book, and if I had it my way, I'd never see him again, anyway.

"Mom," I said, pulling Edward forward, "This is Edward Cullen. My boyfriend. Edward, this is Renee, my mom."

He held his hand out. "Nice to meet you… "

"Just call her Renee. You'll forget her last name if you try to keep track. She could meet husband number five tomorrow, and you'd have to relearn her name all over again.

My mom smacked my shoulder. "Bella! Stop being so sarcastic. I'm so glad to finally meet you, Edward. I've heard lots of good things about you."

He looked over at me and raised an eyebrow.

"What? You're perfect, I told you."

He laughed. "Well, I'm glad she had all good things to say about me."

Renee giggled and the tell-tale blush started to sprout on her cheeks. Fucking hell… she was going to throw on the flirts.

"So I hear you've asked my daughter to move in. It seems a little rushed. What are your plans? Are you planning on proposing soon?"

"Mother!" I roared. "Shut it down. For the love of God."

Edward's voice interrupted me. "I realize you're just looking out for the best interests of your daughter, Renee," he said, and Rosalie scoffed from the other side of the room.

I threw her a dirty look. "It is fast, I realize," he continued. "but I think when it feels right, you should go with it. I put off talking to Bella for almost a year, and I just can't let another minute pass without spending it with her."

"Oh," my mom swooned. "That is just the loveliest thing I've ever heard. I'm truly happy for you both, I just don't want to see my angel's heart get broken. She doesn't have very much experience with dating, and I don't want her getting in too deep."

If there were a look that would translate into you are the biggest fucking bitch on the planet and I hope you turn into a poisonous mushroom, then I gave it to her. I wanted to punch her.

"He knows perfectly well how lame I am, mother, but he's such a gem that he overlooks the fact that I'm a loser and loves me anyway. Aren't you glad someone felt sorry for me and scooped me up?" I snapped.

"That's not what I meant," she said quickly.

"Whatever," I grumbled.

She grabbed my shoulder. "Sweetheart, all I meant was… never mind. I'm happy for you. I told you this earlier."

I didn't want to argue. She was a moron, and the more I was around her and listened to her talk, the more I realized that I made the best decision ever to move across the country from her.

"So you did," I said. "So can you drop it? This is really not your business anyway."

She pressed her lips together, obviously pissed. "Yes, well, I'm your mother. Whatever you do with your life is my business, and I have every right to ask questions of a man who asks my daughter to move in after what? A few weeks time? You've always been impulsive, Bella."

"Because I didn't have a parent to show me how to become an adult! Don't patronize me, and don't treat me like I'm some kind of idiot. I'm doing the best I can, and I'm fucking happy. Back off and let me live, would you?"

Tears. I'd reduced my mother to tears.

"I'll just be in the kitchen," she said softly before walking away. I hung my head.

"Shit, shit." I looked up at Edward, expecting him to be mortified by my temper tantrum, but the look on his face was full of compassion and worry, instead.

"I'm so sorry I acted like that," I cried. "God! She just brings out the worst in me. She didn't deserve that."

He pulled me into a hug, and I let the tears come. I felt Rosalie's hand on my back, soothing me like my mother never had. That was the whole thing. She'd never wiped my snotty nose, held a pack of ice against bumps on my head, or sat with me while I explained bad days. She carted me around from place to place, searching for her happiness. For the first time ever, I was completely happy. I'd been content, I'd coped, I'd known fleeting fun, but never, ever, had I felt so wanted and adored and just fucking alive.

"Bella." Her voice was soft and timid, and again, I had to remind myself. She was who she was. She was selfish and immature and flaky, but that was her problem. Forever she would be my mother.

I didn't want to bring the negative bullshit between us into my relationship with Edward. I was sick of carrying it around.

"Mom, not now. I'm sorry I yelled, but I think it's better if we just talk in the morning if you don't mind."

"I think it's time for me to leave," she said in a flat voice. "I came to spend time with you, not to upset you."

I sighed and looked up at Edward, like he'd know what to do. I was sure his family was normal and I knew they were tight-knit, so I was embarrassed for acting like a raving bitch. I wanted to blame the wine, but it was just the way I was with my mother.

"Don't leave, Mom. We'll talk in the morning."

"Do you want me to stay?" Edward asked.

"There's nowhere to sleep, but thank you for wanting to."

"Okay. How about I come take you ladies to breakfast tomorrow."

"Mom, would you like to have breakfast with me and Edward in the morning?"

She smiled through tears and nodded. "I'd love to. A fresh start?"

I nodded. It seemed like I was constantly giving her a fresh start. This time, however, it was the last time I gave her the chance. I had something more important—the most important thing—at stake.

* * *

**Thanks for reading!**

**Love, Jami **


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

* * *

The whole morning had been awkward with my mother. After sleeping on it, I felt horrible for going off on her. I wanted to leave things between us in a good place, but there'd been so many years of bottling things up, and I couldn't do it anymore.

"Here he comes, sweetheart."

I looked up and watched as Edward jogged across the street toward us. He'd dropped us off in front of the restaurant while he found a spot to park. Because he was a gentleman, and perfect.

"God damn," I murmured.

There was no getting used to the looks of him. Everything about him was just insane. From head to toe, he was a work of art.

"He's really something special, isn't he?" my mother asked.

"You have no idea, Mom."

I still couldn't take my eyes off him, and as he got closer, the smile he gave me made me tingle all over the place.

"There's my girl." He slowed to a quick stroll once he caught up to us and stopped in front of me, kissing the end of my nose.

I heard my mother sniffle from next to us, and gave her a disgruntled look. Edward grabbed my hand and gave it a squeeze. "You ladies ready for the best pancakes in town?"

"I'm starving," I grumbled.

"You're always starving."

I glared at him, but he was right. I liked food—sue me.

The hostess seated us near the window in the back and handed us the slick menu before disappearing to gather our drinks.

"This is so nice of you, Edward. Especially after the nonsense last night. I'm sorry you had to see that."

I gave her a warning look to shut the fuck up. If she even tried to make me look bad in front of him, I was going to shank her with my fork.

"Mom, it's over. I said I was sorry, and we'll talk after Edward goes to train. I don't want to do this stupid family drama shit in front of him again. Please. Drop it."

She sighed and set the menu to her left. She was about to say something when the waitress returned with our coffee. We sat quietly as she placed the mugs in front of us and poured the coffee, but once she was gone, my mom went for it.

"Edward, I think I should explain. I'm not sure what Bella has told you about our family, and I don't want to share anything she doesn't feel is necessary, but I want you to know that I love my daughter." She looked up at me, her eyes brimming with tears. "I've made mistakes. Tons of them." She took a deep breath and looked over at Edward. "Did she tell you I was only sixteen when she was born?"

I stiffened. Here it was. She was going to empty the closet and undress our deep, ugly, family secrets in the middle of a charming coffee shop. I wanted to disappear. I didn't have anything to hide, per se, but we hadn't been together long enough to share it all.

I only had the doggy bag version of his family, and I'd given him little more than scraps of mine. We had time, though, to get to know each other and share things. In time. I was scared shitless that he was going to run for the hills once Renee unloaded on him.

"No," he answered.

His voice was soft, and when I felt his hand on my knee, I knew he could read my mind.

"I met her father at a party my sophomore year of high school. It was summer and we snuck out of the house. We were supposed to be staying at my friend Tina's house, at least, that's what we told our parents. Instead, we hitched a ride to First Beach, and there he was."

"Mom," I begged. "He doesn't give a shit. Please stop. Please."

She reached over and covered my hand with hers. "I'm not trying to embarrass you, Bella. I want him to understand that I am trying here. I can see the two of you growing close, and I want to be a part of that. I want to be a grandmother to your children someday, and as polite as Edward is, I can see in his eyes that he doesn't trust me. He's protective of you, and it makes me very happy to see that. I want to make amends, Bella."

Edward cleared his throat and looked out the window, uncomfortable and nervous. I don't know how my mom sensed it, but I was glad she did.

"Bella's told me enough, Mrs. Dwyer. There's also the things she doesn't tell me. I know she's been hurt. A lot. But she's mine now. You may think we're being impulsive and working off hormones and feelings, but that's not the way it is. In fact, I waited a long time for her. I feel like we've known each other for years. I've never felt this close to someone, and I might not know everything she went through as a kid, but I will. She'll tell me, if she wants to, and when she's ready. I'm not concerned about your mistakes for your benefit, only Bella's. Because it's ultimately her who was hurt. She's still hurting. She still feels like any minute, the entire world is going to pull the carpet out from under her. I want to make sure she understands that I'm not going anywhere."

He smiled down at me and squeezed my knee. "This is the beginning for us. It's all a clean slate, and we have an entire future to build. So, you don't owe me any explanations, Mrs. Dwyer. The one you owe is your daughter, and you owe her apologies that I am sure will not come close to making up for the fact that she grew up feeling unloved."

My mother gasped and I'd stopped breathing completely.

The scathing tone of his voice as he finished his tiraid. I'd seen him pissed off, and ultimately, that ended up being a great day, but having his wrath focused on my mom, and for my benefit, was shocking. My mind couldn't even wrap around how much I loved him.

"Edward," I said softly. I put my hand over his forearm and willed him to look at me. God, he was furious.

"She was not unloved. I love my daughter, Edward."

"Then you need to show it, not say it. She deserves better, Mrs. Dwyer, and I intend on showing her every day how much I love her."

My mother chuckled and shook her head as she stirred her coffee. "For how long, though. From what I've read about you, Mr. Hockey star, you're quite the ladies' man. What happens when you're through with my daughter?"

"Not gonna happen," he growled. "That was the past, and while I'm not proud of it, I was young. You show me an eighteen-year-old boy who passes up willing women, and I'll walk away right now. I won't hurt Bella. Ever. I love her, and it's not lust, and it's not a passing thing. I think I fell in love with her the first day I saw her. If you would pay attention to her—really look at her—you'd see there aren't many women who come close to how beautiful she is. That alone is not enough, though. It's her spirit. I've never met anyone like her, and every day, something else snares me. She's silly, she's kind, she's adventurous, and she's generous. It's her, inside and out. I don't think you've ever seen what I see when I look at her."

"I do!" she cried. "You don't think I see it? She's always been a beautiful girl, but shy, and awkward. It held her back, and I tried to bring her out of her shell. She was always so angry."

She sighed, obviously realizing where her own thoughts were taking her. "I never meant for things to turn out this way. I was a stupid kid. I was lonely and I didn't know what to do. Her father was an alcoholic and I couldn't very well send her to live with him while I got myself together. I had no one, so I had to rely on men. I'm not proud of it, in fact, it makes me feel sick all the time. All those men, all the times I made the same mistake. I was gullible for a long time, and then one day, I figured it out. I wasn't going to fall in love anymore. The only thing was, I couldn't be alone. I just can't. It terrifies me even thinking about it."

She turned her focus on me then. "You were always the opposite. Always so comfortable alone. So, seeing you, the two of you together, I see it all. You'll have all the things I always wanted for you. I only want to be a part of that."

Edward sighed loudly and ran his hand over my leg. "Look, I don't want to be a dick, but I feel very protective of her. I love her, and I won't let anyone hurt her. I want her to be happy, and she was afraid of you visiting. Do you understand how that made me feel? No one should worry about their mother the way she worries about you."

My mom brushed a tear away from her cheek. "I don't want her to feel that way."

I cleared my throat. "Would the two of you mind if I speak? I mean, this whole convo going back and forth like I'm not here is sort of pissing me off. Both of you are being giant assholes, and I have something to say."

Edward's back stiffened and my mother looked down, ashamed.

"I'm a big girl. I have taken care of myself for a long time, Mom. I get it—you have issues. You've had it rough. For the most part, I understand, but I just can't deal with it anymore. I love Edward." I turned to him, grabbing his face with my hands, and looking into his eyes. "I love you. I know you love me, and I'm totally so turned on right now that you are so fierce about sticking up for me, but stop. You don't have to."

He smiled, but it was a sad smile. "You were going to walk away from this because you were so afraid I was going to leave you, Bella. I won't deal with that. I won't let you leave."

I leaned forward and pressed my lips against his. "Good. I won't let you let me, or whatever. You're stuck with me. For good."

My mom cleared her throat and I just wanted her to disappear. I was good. I was ready to move on. While I wouldn't forget how she'd treated me, I would let it go. I wanted a healthy, normal start with Edward. I wanted fun and silly and sexy and love. He was all of that—all plastered on the hottest man I'd ever seen in my life.

He was so crazy if he thought I was letting that go.

"Well, this breakfast didn't go the way I thought it would," my mother complained. "I feel like I'm going in circles with you, Bella. I just want to talk with you and work on making things better."

Edward's green eyes blazed, and I could tell he was just as sick of her as I was. What could I do? I'd warned him about her, and he hadn't listened.

"Why don't you two spend the day together and work things out. I want her to be happy, Renee. That's all."

My mom chuckled. "You've made that quite clear."

*****Slapshot*****

I spent the rest of the day with my mom, and we ended up talking through a lot of things. I was still angry, and I knew that was my issue. My brain was full of garbage, though, and she'd tossed most of the crap in there, so she just had to deal.

She was a little upset that I was leaving to spend time in Chicago with Edward and his family, but that was just too bad. I'd already made plans, and she had never thought twice about pushing me aside to do what she wanted to do. It felt good telling her that I was moving on. I'd made a place for myself in Washington, and for the first time ever, I was truly home.

Even if I hadn't met Edward, I had Rose and Em, my job, my place. I was good where I was. There was a lot about myself I still needed to learn, but she stifled me. Being with my mom was toxic, even when she was trying to be nice there was an undercurrent of bullshit. I could smell it. It was too familiar.

I did agree to stay in the apartment with her until we left for Chicago. It was a hard decision, but who knew when I'd see her again, so I agreed. Edward was not happy, but I was pretty sure it was his penis being pissy. We were just getting good at the sex thing, and my mother walked into our lives like a giant gorilla cockblocker from hell.

"I really want her to go home," he complained, leaning against my doorway, pouting.

"Two more days and we're on the road anyway. Then we come home and we'll be together every single day. You'll be sick of me."

He reached over and grabbed a piece of my hair, winding it around his finger. "Impossible. I can't get enough of you."

I giggled. He made me giggle all the freaking time. It was stupid. "You keep talking to me like that, and I might just take my clothes off and let you take advantage of me."

"You're a little tease, you know that? My balls are aching, and you know it."

I looked down at his crotch, and giggled again. "I'm sorry."

"No, you're not. You're staying with me the night before we leave. Your mom can kiss my ass."

I pushed myself against him, wrapping my arms around his waist. "I love you, you big, adorable man. I love you."

He pushed off the door jamb and wrapped his arms around me. "You have me so twisted up, little girl. You have no idea."

"Two days," I sighed.

"Yeah, the longest two days of my life."

* * *

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	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

* * *

The weeks following my move into Edward's house had been crazy. Wonderful, but crazy.

He'd been on the road quite a bit, but I'd managed to handle it a lot better with each trip. Being in his house—or our house—made it easier. I was settling in, making myself at home, and it was great not being alone all the time.

I had Gordie, after all.

And the time had finally arrived for our trip to Chicago. To meet the parents.

We were staying in a hotel for the night and heading to his parents' house the following day since our flight was late. And I was so glad he decided on the hotel.

We hadn't had a lot of time alone. Between my mom, and the games, it'd been hell. He'd obviously felt the distance as well. He was so handsy with me in the taxi on the way to the hotel, the driver had to ask us to knock it off.

Once we were inside the room, our bags dropped to the floor, and I was up against the closed door in six seconds flat. His hands were everywhere, and where they weren't, his lips were. I loved the way he loved me. So intense and so out of control.

"I'm about to fucking lose it, Bella. Help me get these jeans off."

He was practically ripping them off, his strong hands gathering the fabric and yanking hard. I went to work, trying to save them since I'd only brought two pairs.

"It's going to be hard and fast, baby. I'll take care of you the second time around. I need to get inside that pussy before I lose my mind."

I groaned, hitting my head against the door and fumbling with my jeans. I finally got the zipper down, and he dragged them down my legs. Once I had one leg out, he was pulling his down, boxers and all, and lifted me so I could wrap my legs around his waist. His eyes were wild, full of lust and pent up energy. It'd been too long, and just remembering what it was like when we connected sent a spark up my spine.

"I love you," he said as he entered me, hard and fast, just like he promised.

I cried out, my fingers digging into his shoulders. I loved how it felt being in his arms. He was so strong, so big. I felt safe. Loved. It wasn't only the physicality of him, it was his heart. He held me strong in his arms, but his heart would never let me fall. I'd seen it more than once over the time span of two weeks.

My mother brought out a monster in him. A fierce protective, possessive monster. For being as independent as I felt I was, I loved being taken care of by him.

It was hot as fuck.

He pumped into me relentlessly. I hoped it would always feel this way. Like he couldn't stand another minute without me. I wanted that possession. I wanted that lack of control.

"Fuck, Bella. I missed this too fucking much."

"Yes, me too."

Every single time we were together it was like stars exploding. As corny as it sounded, it was literally like my universe shifted. Everything settled back in place, everything was perfect.

"Touch yourself," he ordered. "I'm not going to last. I need you to come with me."

I let go of his shoulder, and rubbed my clit furiously, feeling him slide in and out of me as he continued to fuck me senseless. I was shaking, and in the back of my head I prayed I wouldn't end up falling on the floor. He groaned, and then stilled, and I shattered around him. My hand fell limp to my side, and my head against the door.

Hard and fast didn't even describe what that was.

"You're gonna kill me one day," I said with a breathless laugh.

He was smiling, obviously pleased with himself, kissed me on the forehead, and helped me to my feet. "Let's jump in the shower, and then we'll order dinner."

My mouth fell open. A shower? Oh, I knew what that meant in Edward speak. More sex. I wasn't sure I could even participate. Sensing my thoughts, he tapped my nose and stepped out of his pants.

"Don't worry, sweetheart. I'll do all the work." And then he walked away; that sweet ass of his on full display.

"I swear I must be Mother Theresa's long lost, way saintlier sister because, shit. How did I land this man?"

He turned and winked. "Do I need to carry you in here?"

I shook my head and scrammed, following behind him like the puppy that I was.

After an extra-long shower, I was completely spent. The long flight, the dirty fuck, and then his head between my legs for almost a half hour wore me out. I couldn't move.

"Tell me more about your family. Is your mom going to hate me?"

"Why would you even think that, Bella? She'll love you. I know it."

I wasn't convinced. We'd been together all of ten minutes and I was already moving in with him. She was going to think I was a trollop, or worse—a gold digger. "Did you tell them we moved in together?"

His fingers made lazy circles on my back, and it was so soothing, I was ready to fall asleep. But my brain wouldn't quit. I needed some more answers.

"Not yet. We can tell them together."

I leaned up on my elbow and glared at him. "Seriously? You are such a jackass."

He barked out a laugh and sat up to face me. "Would you calm down? My family is not judgmental. They trust me to make my own decisions. I'm sure they're going to be thrilled I'm bringing someone home. I'm pretty sure my mom thinks I'm going to die alone."

I twisted my mouth into a scowl. "Whatever. They have a television in the house, don't they? You were on TMZ with that one broad with the waxy skin and cantaloupes under her Ed Hardy tank top. I'm sure they saw that."

I hadn't actually caught that. It was Emmett who so nicely pointed it out one night while we were waiting for Rosalie to cook us dinner. It wasn't pretty. I may have cried actual tears over it.

"And by the way, you have God awful taste in women. What did you do? Wait for the rejects to leave the Rock of Love house after Brett Michaels kicked them out? Gross."

He pinched my ass. "Stop being so mean," he said. "And most of those pictures were fan pictures. They weren't my dates."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, whatever. Still."

"Yeah, so what about your men? You never had bad judgment?"

I glared. "Maybe I do right now?"

He grabbed me and flipped me over so he was hovering above me. He had my hands pinned to the mattress and a scowl on his face. "You better take that back," he warned.

I giggled. "Or what?"

He thrust his hips into me, hitting me in a deliciously sensitive spot. Who knew fake arguments were so sexy.

"Does that feel like a bad decision?"

I smirked. "Where did my sweet, shy, customer go? You're so not a nice boy."

He thrust against me again, and then swiveled his hips to grind against me. "That was all a ruse. I just wanted to get you in bed."

"Liar!" I laughed. "I tried to molest you on the first date, and you got all offended. You're a sneaky bastard."

He wiggled his eyebrows. "It worked, didn't it?"

Oh, it worked. He was an evil genius.

*****Slapshot*****

The next morning, we woke up late, had some more sex, and then packed up to drive out to his parent's house. They dropped off the rental car at the hotel around eleven, and we were on the road a half hour later. I was a bundle of nerves. I couldn't stop fidgeting, and I swear I was developing a tick. I just wanted them to like me. What if they read right through me and saw that I was so under his level, I was basically a charity case.

I wanted to throw up.

"Can you pull over, please?" I hunched over, ready to hurl. I wasn't going to make it.

He reached over and rubbed my shoulder. "Hey, are you okay?"

"No, dumbass! Pull over! I'm going to puke!"

He swerved out of traffic and found the shoulder of the highway just in time for me to throw the door open and upchuck my courtesy Danish and coffee from breakfast. I was mortified—downright disgusted with myself

I cried, and he knelt in front of me, careful not to step in the throw up, and rubbed my leg. "What the hell's going on, baby? Is it something you ate?"

I shook my head. "No. Its nerves, I think. I don't know."

"Baby, it's going to be fine. Trust me. They're good people. They'll love you."

I nodded, but I wasn't convinced.

"Are you going to be okay? Should we go back to the hotel? It's closer to the arena, anyway. We can just stay there."

I looked up, wide-eyed and shook my head. "No, no, no. I'll be fine. I'm not going to ruin this time with your family. You're looking forward to it. I'm a loser, it's no big deal."

He reached up and cupped my face in his hands, and leaned his forehead against mine. "You're not a loser. I don't love losers, Bella. Stop worrying so much. You're beautiful, funny, remarkable. They are so excited to meet you. You have nothing to worry about. I just don't want you to be uncomfortable. You're all that matters."

And there it was. I was all that mattered to him, and it wasn't just a line. He was serious, and I knew I had nothing to worry about. He'd take care of me, no matter who I had to deal with. He believed in me, and in us. Everything would be fine.

"Can we stop off somewhere before we get there so I can freshen up? I don't want to meet your mom with yuck mouth."

He laughed. "I fucking love you, Bella Swan."

I wrinkled my nose and wiped my mouth. "Even though I'm a psycho?"

"Especially because you're a psycho."

*****Slapshot*****

Twenty minutes later, we were in front of a simple two-story brick house in a suburban neighborhood. It wasn't what I expected, but that shouldn't have surprised me. I'd had the same thought when I saw his house in Seattle for the first time.

"This is it?"

He nodded. "It is. Not what you expected?"

"It's not, but it's better."

He smiled and his whole face lit up. "This is where I grew up."

A big blue Dodge truck was parked in the driveway next to a beige Ford Taurus. There was tire swing hanging from a giant Oak in the middle of the yard, and the garden was littered with weeds, half-dead flowers, and battered wooden decorative signs. It was the most normal thing I'd ever seen, and suddenly, I knew I was going to fit in just fine.

For some stupid reason, I pictured him growing up in some upscale neighborhood where the wives all wore twinsets and polished shoes. I never expected Middle America, but then it made sense. He was so down to earth, even with his celebrity. None of that crap mattered to him. He was just Edward Cullen, some dude from Illinois. He'd grown up in a normal house, in a normal town, with normal parents.

I was thrilled.

He helped me out of the car, and before we could even make it to the yard, a portly woman, about the same height as I was, ran down the steps of the porch with her arms extended, screaming about babies.

It was his mother. Jesus.

She wore a pair of the brightest yellow capri pants I'd ever seen, a pink knit top with a giant flower on the front, and her flip flops looked like they were about to cut loose and nail someone as she flew across the yard. She had his hair, that ruddy reddish brown with wild waves, and that made me smile.

At the rate of speed she was moving, I knew she was just beyond happy to see her son, and something inside of me twisted with jealousy. Why couldn't I have a mother like that?

"I was worried sick! What took you so long? I thought you were splattered all over the highway! I was just sending Daddy out to look for you! My gawd," She caught up to him and wrapped her little chubby arms around his waist and squeezed until he was purple.

The look on his face wrapped around me like cellophane. I couldn't breathe. The love he had for that woman was intense. He was so relieved to see her, like a thirsty man in need of water. I decided right at that moment, he'd never looked more attractive to me.

Ever.

She turned then, her bright green eyes zoning in on me, and her smile widened. She stepped back, put both hands to her mouth and made a sound you'd probably hear out of a teenager at a Justin Bieber concert.

It sort of scared the shit out of me.

"Bella!" She launched at me, hugged me around the middle, and kissed both of my cheeks. "Well, shit, aren't you the cutest thing ever? Edward, you were right. She is the most beautiful girl in the world."

She held onto my shoulders and pulled back so she could appraise me. I wanted to climb in a hole.

"Good God, you better make sure I get a grand baby out of this, Edward. Can you imagine what your little girls would look like? Your gorgeous hair and her big brown eyes! I'll be the envy of all the grandmas at the park."

My eyes bugged out of my head and I sputtered like a drunk. "I'm not pregnant! No sex I have!"

I mean, Jesus. We hadn't even been properly introduced and she was already forcing her son to stick his penis in my vagina and fertilize.

What the fuck?

"Ma, calm down. She's already a nervous wreck. I had to pull over so she could puke."

What. Was. Wrong. With. Him?

She frowned. "What's wrong, sweetie? Are you sure you're not pregnant?" She reached down and fondled my stomach, and then looked up and I think she tried to wink. What it looked like was a series of rapid blinks, like she something had flown into her eyes.

I couldn't stop myself. I laughed. She was a trip. So not what I expected, once again. She was strangly better than anything I could have imagined when I thought about Edward's mother.

"I'm sure, Mrs. Cullen. It was just nerves. That's all."

Her concern returned. "I hope Edward didn't say anything to upset you."

She turned and shot him a glare. "He was raised better than that."

Shaking my head, I smiled and tried to reassure her. "Nothing like that. I was nervous about meeting you all. I've never met anyone's parents before."

"Ahh." She chuckled, and it made her cheeks shake. "Come on in. You have no reason to be nervous about us. We've all been dying to meet the girl who stole Edward's heart."

I blushed. "It's nice to meet you, too. Edward really misses you guys."

She turned and smacked him in the chest. "Well, he better. I spent sixteen hours in labor with him, and he had a head the size of a watermelon. Damn near ripped me in two."

I cringed. Gross.

"Ma, please stop talking!"

She threaded her arm in mine and patted my shoulder. "Come on in. The boys are in the back."

We walked across the yard, and I turned back to look at Edward. He was grinning ear to ear, as if seeing me and his mom together was the best thing ever. It sort of felt that way. I could tell I was already in with her. She loved me. I was set.

We walked inside and the last thing I ever wanted to come out of my mouth in front of Edward's mother did.

"Fuck me sideways with a fork!"

* * *

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	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

* * *

My head jerked backward, and I stared at Bella, wondering what the hell brought that outburst on. My first instinct was to groan, but I knew better. She'd fit right in with the Cullen household—just like I told her she would. My entire family was full of filthy mouthed heathens.

"What's wrong?"

She clutched her chest with both fists and focused on my brother's wrestling in the sunken family room below. They were like a bunch of overgrown apes. And even though I'd begged them to at least ease her into our bullshit, they decided to go all in anyway.

"They're just messing around," I murmured, rubbing my hand over her arms. Soothing. Calming. She was freaking out.

"I just… I mean… ho-lee shit. Like, holy shit. Those are your brothers?"

My eyebrows dipped and I looked back and forth between the idiots in the family room and her. "Uh, yeah? I told you I had brothers."

I didn't understand what had her so confused. Was it the wrestling? She was a single child. Maybe it was weird to someone on the outside. To me, it was like an old familiar oil painting on the wall. Normal, same ol' same ol'.

"But you didn't… and I mean, and they… holy shit."

"Ah, yeah, those are my boys," my ma chuckled. "They usually get this reaction from girls. Well, not so dramatic, but they're an eye full." She squeezed Bella's arm and waved her hand in front of her. "Come on. Let's introduce you. Boys clean up your act. We've got a lady in the house."

Both of my brothers stopped and looked up. Jasper still had his arm wrapped around Garrett's throat, and Garrett grunted like a bear while he tried to escape. I saw the confusion on Jasper's face right away, but the second he saw me next to Bella, an evil grin pulled at his lips.

"Well, well, well. My brother and his little woman." Jasper dropped Garrett to the ground, wiped his hands on his shorts, and strolled over to where we were standing. I moved closer to Bella and wrapped my arm around her shoulders, glaring at my big brother.

He's smiled wider, and I knew in that instant, he was going to fuck with me. Big time.

"Bella, nice to meet you." He pulled her hand up to his lips to kiss her knuckles. "You're a pretty little thing, aren't ya?"

She giggled and I wanted to throat check his ass. He was putting on all the charm and he was good. Real good.

"Watch it, asshole."

He winked at me and turned his attention back to my girlfriend. "I'm Jasper. The good-looking brother."

"Yeah you are," she said.

I cleared my throat. "Excuse me?" I mean, what the hell was that?

She blinked rapidly and looked up at me with apologetic eyes and a little frown. "He is, though. But you're way hotter, baby."

My mom stifled a laugh and it felt like I was ten years old again, wishing I could run away. "Thanks, babe. Great."

Jasper chuckled and crossed his arms over his chest. "Lookin' good, little bro."

I grunted. "Do you ever wear clothes? Jesus."

He shrugged, looked down at his bare chest and was about to make another smart remark, no doubt, when Garrett shoulder checked him and moved closer to Bella.

"I'm Garrett. Nice to finally meet you, Bella." My oldest brother at least had some manners. Not many, but he wasn't as big of a dick as Jasper. "Little bro talks about you all the time."

I groaned and ran my fingers through my hair. A nervous habit I hated. I just wanted all the introductions over with. They were pissing me off. Playing games. Making me squirm. It's what they did.

"Come on in the family room, darlin'. These boys need to go get cleaned up. Go on. Scoot. The girls will be back soon, and we can eat. Go! Now!"

My mom snapped a towel she had tucked in her back pocket at them—a technique she'd perfected a long time ago. I was grateful she sent them off to get dressed. I wasn't sure how much longer I could stand there and watch Bella drool over my brothers. I kind of wanted to rip her head off so she couldn't look at them anymore.

"They're both taken, so you can put your tongue back in your mouth," I snapped, unwrapping my arm and walking into the family room away from her. I was being a little bitch, and the chuckle from behind me told me they caught on to it. I'd never live it down. Another reason for them to tease me while I was there.

Just as the thought slipped into my head, I felt the force of a body behind me and I was on the ground, face against the plush forest green carpet of my mother's family room.

"Get off me, you dick!" I yelled. "I swear. I'm gonna beat your ass."

And then I felt more pressure, and knew Garrett had joined Jasper in completely humiliating me in front of my girlfriend.

"I'm going to straight up die now. Like, wings, and halos, and little harps on a cloud. Fuck me."

Bella. She couldn't keep one damn thought to herself. If we weren't at my mother's house, I'd drag her upstairs and make sure she knew which one of the Cullen brother's she belonged to

"Except, I'd probably go to hell with the thoughts going on in my head right now."

"Bella!" I yelled. "Do you think you can stop checking out my brothers? Shut up."

She laughed. "Yeah, not gonna happen. This big, hunk-man sandwich is like every girl's dream, so no. I can't give you this one, sweetheart."

I groaned, and then cried out when I felt a knee in my back and my leg being pulled behind me. "Ahhh, fuckers!"

"Uncle, bitch. Say it!"

I couldn't believe that this was happening in front of her. I'd hoped they wouldn't embarrass me, but really, I knew they would. I figured they'd make an extra effort since it was the first time I'd brought a girl home to meet them.

"Uncle! Now fuck off!" The pressure was gone instantly, but Jasper had to keep it going with a thump in the back of my head. "Unf," I groaned. "You guys are fucking idiots."

"Can we cut down on the f-word, boys? You'd think I raised a bunch of damn monkeys!"

My mom continued to drill us on our behavior, while I tried to rid myself of the stars rolling around in my head. They were truly assholes.

"Are you okay?" I looked up to find Bella crouching down in front of me, worry clear in her eyes. "They kicked your ass."

I laughed. Unbelievable. "Just wait. They caught me off guard."

"They're huge," she whispered. Just then, the front door slammed, and my father's booming voice carried into the room.

"Where's my boy?" I got up, straightened out my shirt, and tried to settle the mess on top of my head. I hated it when they fucked up my hair.

"Hey, Pops," I said, smiling into the burly face of my father. He was still in his uniform, and the grin he gave me in return warmed me up inside. He wasn't big on emotions, but he loved us all with everything he had.

"Looks like you already got a piece." He laughed, causing his chest to puff out underneath the coarse fabric of his shirt.

"Fuckers," I mumbled as I made my way over.

He grabbed me into a full bear hug, and then let me go just as quickly. "You're looking weak. Might be why you've been moving so slow on that ice, eh? You like letting those pussies knock you down, boy?"

I rolled my eyes. "We're a shoe-in for the playoffs, aren't we?"

He huffed and crossed his brutal arms over his thick chest. "You're playing sloppy. You need to get your head out of your ass. Making lots of mistakes out there, dipshit."

That was my dad. Even if he thought I was playing the game of my life, he had to make me rethink things. Don't get me wrong, no one was more proud of me or what I'd accomplished. There was no bigger fan. It was just his way. It's what kept us on our toes and pushed us to do better.

"Yeah, well, we'll see, old man."

"So, where's this little bit of honey that's been sucking your brain cells outta your head? Let me get a look-see."

I felt Bella creeping up behind me, and turned, grabbing her hand and pulling her in front of me. "Dad, this is my Bella. Bella, this is my dad, Carl."

He grinned, taking her all in. I could tell he approved right away. Who wouldn't? She was a hot piece of ass, and I could tell he was impressed. Honestly, I could've brought a dog home and he would've welcomed her with open arms. But her, my Bella, yeah, the old man was giving me the mental thumbs up.

"You call me Pops, sweetheart." He pulled her toward him, lifting her up off her feet in one of his trademark squeeze.

She let out a little squeak and he chuckled, loosening his grip, but not letting her go. He studied her face with a warm smile. I could tell she was terrified. My dad was a big dude, with a booming voice that used to scare the shit out of me. But he was just a huge teddy bear.

"You done good, kid. This one's a keeper. Even got some meat on her bones." He gave her another squeeze, and let her go. She stood,stunned, staring up into his face like she's seen God.

"It's like winning the Powerball in this family. Holy shit!" She whispered harshly, shaking her head.

My mom laughed. "Honey, are you giving this girl a hard time? You're going to chase her away and Eddie brought her all the way from Washington. Behave!"

"Why don't you come help me in the kitchen? A lady shouldn't be left alone with these animals."

She grabbed Bella's hand and started dragging her through the house to the kitchen. I watched them leave the room, my gaze following Bella, wishing more than anything I could swipe her up and run. As much as I loved my family, I hoped to God it wasn't too much. Yeah, her mom was a psycho, but my family was a completely different kind of crazy. Better than Renee, but they were a lot.

A meaty hand clasped onto my shoulder and I took a deep breath and I turned to face my dad.

"Son, that is one fine woman."

"She is, yeah," I admitted. "The best."

"I bet she is," Garrett snorted, raising his eyebrows.

"I'll fucking kill you. If your wife wasn't the size of a motor home, I'd make you feel uncomfortable right now, bitch."

"Burn!" Jasper cackled from the corner.

"Fuck you!" Garrett snapped. "You wait until that little honey punches out one of your big-headed kids. With hips like that, she'll be a fatty in no time."

I lunged at him and tackled him to the ground. I got a few good swings in before I was pulled off the floor by my dad and yanked backward.

"Knock it off! All of you!"

"He started it!" I yelled, pointing at Garrett's ugly face.

"Doesn't matter. Stop acting like a bunch of babies. Go get cleaned up before the women get back."

Jasper and Garrett left the room, sniggering like a couple of little brats. Taking a deep breath, I started after them.

"Hold on, Kid. Not so fast. Let's talk for a minute."

He was using his serious dad voice, so I followed orders, met him in the family room, and sat across from him and his old dilapidated chair. He was quiet for a moment, kicking off his boots and settling back with a loud groan. It was comfortable, and I found myself easing in. This was normal. This was home.

"So, you have a good trip?"

I nodded. "Not too bad. Bella hates planes, so it was a whole thing. But otherwise, good."

He nodded, smirking. "So, you in love with that girl?"

I shook my head, then nodded and smiled down at my knees. He was going right for the jugular. "I guess I am."

"You guess?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I love her, Dad. I'm in love with her."

"Good. That's good. You need a good woman to take care of you. You've always been a little pussy."

I laughed. "Nice, Dad. Real nice."

He shrugged. "It's true. All three of you. Your mom babied you. She worries about you out there, you know. This will settle her down. Make her shut it a little."

"I wonder what they're doing in there?" I looked over at the kitchen, hoping my mother wasn't telling Bella anything embarrassing.

"You don't think Mom…"

He held his hand up and shook his head. "If she can't hack it, she's not the one. Something tells me she's gonna be just fine. She's got fire, don't she?"

I nodded, gulping. "She sure does. She's not like anyone I've ever met. She's… special."

He groaned, and then laughed. "Damn, boy. You got it bad. I shouldn't laugh, but damn it's fun seeing you this way. She takes the piss right out of you, doesn't she?"

I nodded, and then silence fell over us again. I looked up, emotional all of a sudden. It was weird having Bella in my house. It was just a lot to take in.

"How nice it is seeing you boys sitting in here so quiet. Are you having a good talk with Daddy?" My mom walked over to my dad, pulled the TV tray out in front of him, and popped the cap off a bottle of beer before placing it in front of him. Then kissed his forehead and settled on the arm of the chair next to him.

I was seeing moments like this in a whole new light. Bella had done something to me. She'd changed me in ways I hadn't even noticed. I'd always wanted what my parents had-but different. Yeah, they were loud and they fought, but they loved each other in such an organic and natural way, it was like they were just made for each other. Watching them made me feel warm. Loved.

"Where's Bella?" I asked.

Mom wiped her hands on her apron and slipped the beer cap into one of the pockets. "She's in there making gravy. You know that girl didn't even know how to make brown gravy? No worries," she said, shaking her hand in the air and rolling her eyes. "By the time she leaves here, she'll fix you a dinner that will rival mine. She's a natural. Damn shame she didn't have a mother to teach her these things. Damn shame."

I shook my head, confused. "Wait. She has a mother, Mom…"

My throat went dry, hoping like hell Bella wasn't in there souping up some crazy story about being motherless. Not that I'd put it past her—she was a bucket short when it came to common sense sometimes, and I knew her mother was a sore subject.

"Oh, that girl doesn't have a mother worth a shit is what I mean. A mother knows when another drops the ball, sweetheart."

I shook my head. "Thanks, Mom."

She winked and walked over to me, grabbed my face in her hands and kissed me square on the lips. "She's darling. Truly. She's just fine. Mama will take care of her."

She left the room without another word, and I'd never loved my mom more in that moment.

"Mmm hmm," my dad hummed. "Your mother is the finest woman I've ever met. You're lucky, boy, and you'll have a good woman to take care of you. I fall in love with her every time she leaves the room."

I followed his gaze, and clenched my eyes. "Jesus, Dad. That's my mom. I hate when you do that shit."

He was shameless. He loved her, and he'd never had a problem letting it show. He wasn't one for laying a bunch of emotional bullshit on us, but I'd seen my share of ass slaps and gropes in the kitchen between the two of them to put me in full blown therapy forever.

But it never came down to that. If anything, it encouraged me to find a woman who made my eyes light up when I saw her. A woman I could love even after thirty something years. I wanted true love, and they had it in droves.

And I had it. I knew it down deep in my soul. I could love Bella forever—would love her forever. She was that girl. The girl I'd love even when she wore muumuu's and sweat pants all the time. She didn't even have to make me pot roast or open my beers, although, that was the cherry on the cake. I wouldn't hate it, but I didn't need all that. I just wanted her by my side.

"All right, who the fuck is in my parking spot? That damn tree drips sap, and someone's washing my car! That's all I'm sayin."

I smiled. That voice belonged to one of my favorite girls in the world. My little sister, Alice. I stood, walked over to the entrance of the family room, and crossed my arms over my chest. I couldn't wait to hear her squeal and throw herself in my arms. What I was not ready for was the striking redhead with a scowl on her face. I was not ready to come face to face with Victoria.

My ex.

* * *

**There were are! The Cullen boys!**

**I had forgotten how much fun this family was to write. These hunky boys make me happy!**

**So Victoria... here we go!**

**Thanks for reading!**

**Love, Jami**


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

* * *

Talk about uncomfortable dinners. When I found out Victoria was Edward's ex-girlfriend, I almost came unglued. Then, finding out she was dating Garrett, sort of put me at ease. Sort of. Until Edward's reaction to that news put me at unease.

"How did you two meet, Bella?"

Her voice was soft and sweet, and she was obviously little Miss Sunshine to everyone else. But to me, it sounded like nails on a chalkboard. She was annoying as hell. For almost an hour she'd rambled on and on, kissing ass and rubbing her marshmallow fluffy happiness all over the entire family. I just wanted her to shut the hell up.

"I buy coffee from her," Edward barked, stabbing at his food like it was going to get up and maim him if he didn't. The tension rolled off him was like a volcano eruption. It made me nervous as fuck.

And seriously? You buy coffee from me, asshole? I wanted to reach under the table and squeeze his nuts until he bled to death.

"Oh, so you're a barista?"

She was too smiley, and the way she said barista? Ugh.

"Yes. No." Edward and I simultaneously answered, and I glared at him and shook my head.

"I work at the counter at a small coffee shop. He would come in and buy coffee, and one day we started talking."

"How nice," she quipped.

His mother reached over and patted my arm, a reassuring gesture that did nothing to ease my nerves. The thing about Victoria was she didn't think it was nice at all. I could tell she thought she was better than me. Like I cared.

"So, what do you do, Victoria?" I asked. More for my own morbid curiosity than to be polite. Because I wasn't feeling a whole lot of polite at all.

Of course her face lit up like a Christmas tree. She was more than happy to have the attention focused on her.

"I'm a nurse in the NICU at Rush University Medical Center."

"She's a baby nurse," Edward mumbled.

"I know," I snapped.

Like I was remedial. I watched freaking Grey's Anatomy. I knew NICU.

"That's how I ran into Garrett. I was on my way out to lunch, and we literally ran into each other at the E.R. entrance. We shared my turkey and swiss, and the rest is history."

She leaned into Garrett and smiled up at him with the dorkiest lovey-dovey smile. The whole thing rubbed me the wrong way. I mean, she'd gone out with Edward, and from the weird tension at the table, it was for a considerable amount of time. So why was she acting like the guy parted the Red Sea the day they ran into each other? She'd had to have seen him before. It was just fucking weird.

Like her.

I hated her.

Perfect teeth and tits and all.

"So, when do you get to shave that beard off, Edward? I bet you'll be glad when he shaves, won't you, Bella?"

"No!" I snapped.

Edward looked over at me, brow creased with confusion.

"You hate my beard."

I shook my head. "I like it now," I said. Reaching over, I rubbed the tips of my fingers over his rough cheek. "It's grown on me."

The truth was, it had grown on me. He was so handsome, and the beard made him look even more rugged. The scruff was hot. What I really loved—but couldn't say out loud—was I really loved the way it scraped the inside of my thighs raw when he went down on me.

Too bad I couldn't paint that picture for Victoria to choke on.

Edward's eyes turned hungry, probably reading where my thoughts had wandered. Giving his thigh a quick squeeze in warning, I kissed his stubbled chin and went back to picking at my meal.

"It is awful scruffy, dear," his mother piped in. "I never understood that dumb tradition. It's silly. Just for a dumb game."

Every chuckled—except me.

"Bella likes it. I think I'll keep it. Maybe even after the season is over."

I smiled victoriously.

"Well, I always liked when you were clean shaven," Victoria said sweetly. "You always had such a classically handsome face. A sweet face."

And there it was, finally. She was throwing it in my face that she'd been with him, but why? She seemed to be all googly over his brother, and Garrett seemed content with her. He had his arm thrown over the back of her chair the entire night, and they were sitting so close together their thighs were touching.

Was she trying to make me jealous? I wasn't sure. But she was riding on a rickety track if she thought I was taking the bait.

"He still has a sweet face and thank God I get to look at it every day." I smiled, not sweet and not like her. I smiled like… I will cut you if you don't shut your skank hole.

"Ahh, what a sweet face," Garrett teased, running his fingers up and down Victoria's arm.

"Shut up, dick," Edward snapped. "How's that divorce of yours going? Kate know you have a girlfriend already?"

Oh! Family dinner was getting heated. I was all in for the drama. It may have been my first family dinner ever, but I was digging it. Drama was always much more interesting when it didn't directly affect you. And since I was not his wife, or his girlfriend, I wanted to see him squirm. Because seriously—what the hell was this guy doing with her?

"Can we not talk about that at the dinner table? It's not a conversation for mixed company," Edward's mom said. She stood, pushed her chair in and smiled. "Who wants dessert?"

Well, things went from awkward to straight up insane after that. The table erupted into complete chaos. The boys bickered back and forth, spewing insults and angry words, while Victoria slinked off to God only knew where, and his mother slipped into the kitchen with his sister.

I just sat there, watching with fascination. Mostly because Edward was angry, and there was just something hot about him when he got heated. The way his nostrils flared, and his Adam's apple bobbed when his voice rose.

But I had to admit, there was something about him getting so heated about this… whatever it was going on with Garrett and Victoria, that upset me.

Finally, his father had enough, and with a gruff holler and a fist to the table, he stopped the madness. I couldn't sit there anymore. I was conflicted and felt way like I didn't belong. This family drama didn't involve me, and obviously there were other underlying issues I didn't need to get involved in. The soapy goodness of some tawdry affair became unsettling and I was as done as I could be.

"I'll be right back," I muttered. I slid the chair back, half expecting Edward to stop me, but he didn't.

I made my way to the kitchen, and found his mother cutting into an enormous chocolate cake, as if an episode of Jerry Springer hadn't gone off the hook in the other room moments before. She turned, and gave me a sweet smile.

"Are you ready for dessert? It's my famous chocolate double fudge cake."

Her smile was so sweet but freaking deluded. I wondered momentarily if she drank. Like, maybe there was a secret stash of vodka in the cupboards.

"No thank you. I'm not feeling very well. I don't want to be rude, but would it be all right if I went and laid down for a little bit?"

Her smile fell and she dropped the knife, before walking over to where I was. "Honey, are you sure you're okay? Can I fix you a ginger ale? Some tea? Soda crackers?"

I shook my head. "No thank you. I think I'm just a little off from the flight."

She brushed my bangs back on my forehead and gave me a gentle smile. It was so motherly, I wanted to cry. "All right, sweetheart. Why don't you go up to Edward's old room? Take a right at the hallway, and it's the first door."

I smiled, nodded, and turned in the direction of the hallway. As I turned the corner, Victoria was coming out of the bathroom, and smiled at me like she hadn't opened a huge jug of bullshit at the dinner table.

"Sorry I took so long. Did you need to use the restroom?"

I didn't say a word as I pushed past her and opened the door to Edward's room. I slipped inside and shut the door behind me. I fell against the door once I was inside and took a deep breath. It had been a pretty intense evening, and I was just really overwhelmed by all of it.

The trip, the family, seeing Edward act so different—I was just off, period. I took in his room, smiling at the posters on his walls. Hockey pictures, girls in tiny bikinis, and a huge Irish flag covered the walls.

A small desk sat in the corner with what looked like the very first computer every made. There was a bookshelf—almost empty—and in the corner, a little twin bed. I couldn't help it. I giggled. I mean, Edward was huge! How had he fit in that thing?

I sat on the edge of that tiny bed, ran my hands over the blue and green plaid comforter, and smiled. It felt a thousand times better being by myself for a few minutes. Getting a little space after being surrounded by a part of Edward's world where I felt like a stranger was a bit much. Humbling, for sure.

His family was wonderful. They were welcoming, and from the second I arrived, they'd treated me like I was already a part of the family. It gave me a new affection for Edward. A warm, sweet affection. But there were so many parts of that family where I still hadn't found a place to belong. We were so new, there were memories I hadn't been a part of, and so many stories I had yet to hear.

It was awkward to say the least.

The door cracked open and he peered inside. "You okay?" His brow furrowed. He was worried.

"Yeah, I just felt uncomfortable. I don't know. It's stupid."

He came inside, shut the door behind him and came over to sit next to me. Wrapping his arm around me, he kissed the top of my head, and let out what sounded like a sigh of relief.

"I'm sorry I went off in there. Garrett just pisses me off. I can't believe him."

"Because of Victoria?" I kept my head down and my eyes on my hands as I picked at my cuticles.

"Yeah, I mean, not because of her exactly. But he's only been separated for like six months. He's such a dick."

I looked up at him finally. "I kind of fucking hate her."

He breathed out a laugh, and cupped my face in his hands. "I figured you would. Doesn't matter. She doesn't matter, baby."

"She's pretty," I mumbled.

"You're pretty. You're gorgeous."

I rolled my eyes. "I'm not a flashy girl. She's kind of flashy. Fancy. Put together."

He pinched my side and nudged me with his shoulder. "If you're trying to say she's fake, you're right. She works too hard to look like that. It's all she's got going for her. You wake up beautiful."

"I'm glad you think so."

He nudged me again. "I do. So, you wanna fool around in my old room?"

"Yeah." I mean, did he think I was going to say no?

Maybe I needed some reassurance. Maybe I was mad and turned on at the same time and I wanted the connection to him I was used to. Before we got to his parents house I had asked about sleeping arrangements because I wasn't sure how cool they were with us sleeping in the same bed since we weren't married.

Plus, I didn't think I wanted his mom to hear him make me moan.

But after meeting them, and seeing the chaos, I knew a hurricane could hit that house and they'd out loud the fucking storm. They wouldn't hear a thing.

But if Victoria heard us? I would not hate that at all.

"I love you," he said, pressing his lips on mine. "I love you so much."

We fell back against the mattress, and my head banged against the wall, making me giggle. "This bed is too small," I said, sitting up.

"Nah," he said, pulling me back and then pushing me down toward the pillow. "It's cozy. Just enough room."

His lips trailed down my cheek, my chin and to my neck, making me forget all about the tiny bed and the fact that his whole family was downstairs.

"What about your mom? She'll know what we're doing."

"Probably," he murmured into my throat. "She loves you. She won't think anything."

I huffed. "Uh, she's going to think I'm a little slut. Up here macking on her baby boy. She'll think I'm loose."

He looked up and wagged his eyebrows. "You're definitely not loose, baby."

I made a disgusted face. "Ack. Who are you, and what have you done with my sweet, charming boyfriend? You're a dirty, dirty man."

He poked me in the belly and started tickling me. "You want me sweet and charming, or quick and dirty? She'll be looking for us sooner than later, so what do you say? You want me to be good, or make you feel good?"

"Jesus," I cried. "When you put it like that."

He flipped me over and I giggled. I was still a little bothered by what happened at dinner, but it didn't feel like the time to bring it up. I was probably just acting like a jealous bitch. I mean, they hadn't gone out in years, and she was dating his brother, but still. I wanted some elaboration on that whole deal.

His finger brushed down my nose, and then he tapped it, gaining my attention. "You want to tell me why you came up here? Did something happen?"

Oh boy.

I sighed and sat up, and then pushed on his chest so he'd sit up with me If we were going to pause the sex, I was going to need him to stop touching me.

I didn't want to look like a complete idiot, but I wasn't sure how to explain myself. But if I let it fester, I was going to say something at the wrong time and cause more problems.

Or knock her out. Either or.

"Okay, listen. I know she's your ex-girlfriend, but the way she acts and the way she looks at you? She still wants a piece of this," I said, rubbing my palm over his chest. "She's so obvious, and like, trying to make me feel all inferior. That is typical scorned girl behavior—I don't care if she is doing the dirty with your brother. Don't you find it weird that she ends up with your brother of all people?"

He sat back, facing the door with his back against the wall, and pulled me into his lap. I almost laughed at him. He was seriously four sizes too big for the damn bed. He looked like a gorilla in a bird's nest.

"It is weird, and I will admit, I was pissed when I saw her. We all grew up together, though, so it's not a shock that she's still hanging out with my sister and stuff. But my brother? That's another story. I'm more pissed at him. He broke code."

I hummed. "So, tell me about his wife? What's going on?"

He sighed, leaned forward and kissed the top of my head. "He married Katie as soon as they graduated high school. They've been together forever. Like, since the sandbox. I knew they were going through things for a while. Kids, work, life. All of it kind of caught up to them. It's a mess. She threw him out about six months ago. I can't believe he's not trying to fix it. Make it work. I'm pissed at him for that, and I'm pissed at Victoria for getting in the middle. He's got two kids to think about, and she's expecting. The baby is due any day, and he's out playing with some hot piece of ass."

My ears burned and my throat clamped shut. I glared at him. "Hot piece of what?"

His eyes bulged out of his head. "That's not what I mean. I just meant he's out screwing around with Victoria, who is five years younger, while Kate is at home taking care of his shit. Victoria is nothing but a plaything for him. I know how he is, Bella. This isn't right, and it's not the Garrett I grew up with. He was always there for Katie and the kids. He always knew he wanted to be married, join the department, have some kids, and basically, have what my parents have. He had it, and he's throwing it away for Victoria? It makes no sense."

I climbed off his lap and began pacing the room. "You still haven't elaborated on you and Victoria. I understand how pissed you are at your brother, but seriously, she's the hobag who is pursuing a married man. And can I just remind you that you've tossed out underhand compliments about her twice now. Can you explain why it's so upsetting to you that she is dating your brother?" I turned to face him, red faced and ready to brawl.

"You know, I think it's pretty cute when you get jealous, but you're starting to piss me off. I just explained to you, in length, how pissed I am at my brother. I don't give two shits about Victoria. Do I not show you how much I love you? How important you are to me? Why do you not trust me?"

"I do trust you," I muttered. "I just don't like how you are avoiding the conversation about her."

"I've never given you a reason to question me, Bella. So knock it the fuck off. I wanted to fool around. Make love to you in my old fucking room. Where, by the way, I never had any other girls just in case that's the next thing out of your mouth. So don't get weird."

I huffed. I bet he was an angel virgin in high school. Right.

"Can you please pull your head out of your ass and look at me?"

I turned and faced him, and the look on his face softened all the hard yuck right down to my core.

"You're it. You're my dream girl, Bella."

I was in tears by the time he finished his tirade. The desperation in his face, the pure grief made me feel like the biggest asshole ever. I didn't really think he wanted her, but damn. She sure as shit wanted him. Whether he believed it or not.

What I had to come to terms with was he wasn't going anywhere. He wasn't my mom, or my dad, or the many others that had dipped out of my life without batting an eyelash. He was true and grounded and down for me for good. I needed to grow up.

Wrapping my arms around his shoulders, I slid my legs around his waist and locked them at his back. As I stared down into those bright green eyes, I told myself to be stronger, better, smarter. This man—this amazingly beautiful, generous, loving man was there and giving me every part of him.

What the hell was my problem?

"I do trust you. You're the only person in the world that I trust, completely. I get possessive. I am possessive. You're mine and I wish I didn't have to share you at all. I want to be selfish and greedy with you because you're all I have. You're the best thing in my life. The best everything. I want to gouge everyone's eyes out for looking at you and hoping for things, or dreaming about you, or fantasizing about you. That's my job. You're my gift. I fucking get that. Do you understand I'm not mad at you, but at them? Especially her. I know I'm crazy, and that probably won't ever change. So get used to it."

His lips brushed over mine as he smiled. "Oh, I'm used to it. And I love it. Secretly, I love that you're jealous, but it makes me sad that you think I would ever, ever, be attracted to anyone else. There's no one else, Bella. You make me happier than a motherfucker. I wouldn't trade this for the world."

I pushed down on his shoulders, smiling. "You know, sometimes when you say perfect things, I just want to do the nicest things for you."

"Oh yeah," he said, reaching up and palming my tits.

"Yup. And then sometimes, you say these perfect things, and I want to do the not-nicest things for you."

"Oh yeah?" he asked again, squeezing my nipples between his fingers.

I said nothing else as I moved myself down and knelt at the end of the bed in front of him. Holding his gaze, I slid his zipper down, and then pulled them down his legs inch by inch. He propped up on his elbows to watch me, and I couldn't wait to get him in my mouth.

I loved when he let me take the lead and do whatever I wanted. It was the biggest turn on. It reminded me of the beginning when he was so dead set on taking things slow. That flame I had inside he wouldn't let me put out, well, it never went away. Things had shifted though, and he was usually the one to jump me first.

I wasn't complaining, seriously. I was always down for him to jump me, but being the jumper was fun once in a while, too.

I rubbed him over his boxers, loving how hard and ready he was for me. His eyes blazed, and his body tensed. There was nothing on earth sexier than Edward when he was horny. Nothing. The way he looked at me was beyond beautiful, and it made me feel like the only woman on the planet.

I pulled him free, finally putting both of us out of our misery and licked my lips. He was perfection. Every luscious inch of him. It was weird to say he had a pretty dick, but his dick was pretty. I wrapped both hands around him and squeezed, then leaned forward and ran my tongue from base to tip and back again.

He groaned, and the vibrations went right through me. I sucked him in, letting the taste of him coat my lips. Giving head wasn't my favorite thing to do—not even on my top five honestly—but it was empowering giving him the pleasure, watching his reactions, and being that intimate with him. I took my time, sucking and licking, and stroking the smooth skin until he was hissing and squirming.

"Fuck, baby, you're gonna make me come," he breathed out.

I released him, still stroking and smiled. "That's the whole point, isn't it?"

He sat up, grabbing my shoulders, his eyes wild and his face flush. "I want to be inside you. Now."

I shook my head and tried to go back to the task at hand, eager to finish what I started, but I soon found myself in the air and then on my back. He fumbled with my jeans, but finally got them down. He was breathing like a fat man in a marathon, and I couldn't stop the giggle that bubbled from my throat.

"Settle down," I said softly, rubbing my hands over his chest. "I'm right here." He looked down at me, holding himself at my entrance, and then slammed into me.

"Now I'm right here," he said, smiling.

It wasn't slow, or gentle. He fucked me hard, forcing the bed to thump against the wall with every thrust. Oh, his family would have no doubt what the hell was going on in that room. I had a feeling he was making sure they knew.

"You can't expect me to calm down when you… and your mouth, and fuck… your mouth," he babbled. I was glad for once I had my top on because there was no doubt the girls would've given me a black eye at the rate he was going.

I was like a rag doll, bouncing and jolting around underneath him. He was like an animal, and I loved every second of it.

"Come, Bella. I'm not gonna last."

Oh, I was gonna come, and it was going to be hard. I was trying so hard not to scream like a wild banshee, but he was hitting spots he'd never hit before. And as often as he hit it, it was unbelievable.

"Oh God," I howled. "Don't stop!"

"You're so beautiful. Every minute I want you. I can't stop. I won't stop."

With another jerk of his hips, and a couple grunts, he was coming, taking me with him. The blood drained from my brain and I fell limp, sated and so happy I could hardly speak.

"I can't move," he groaned. "I think you killed me."

I laughed, shoving him off and and rolled us carefully so we were face to face. "That was all you, boyfriend. I should have jealous little meltdowns more often."

His eyes sparkled as he let his finger dance over my features.

"I like you."

I smiled, closed my eyes and put my head on his shoulder. "I like you, too."

He wrapped his arms around me and then pulled the comforter over the both of us. "I'm sorry if they upset you. It gets a little rowdy around here."

I nuzzled into him and sighed. "They're fine. Actually, I love them. I really love your mom. I think she gets me."

"I told you she'd love you. Always doubting me."

I was falling out. My eyes were heavy and my body was just… done. "Shh. No more talking. I want to sleep."

"We better go back down in a bit. As nice as this is, my mom will throw a fit if we don't spend more time with them."

I knew he was right, but it was going to be a struggle to get up. I was so comfy." "Well, let's get it over with because I just want to snuggle and go to sleep."

A half hour later, we were making our way down the stairs in the ultimate walk of shame. Once the euphoria faded, I was embarrassed that we'd had sex in his mother's house. Especially with the rest of the family downstairs, most likely listening.

They were all in the family room, coffee cups in hand and some sort of sports program on the television. As we entered, the boys gave us knowing smiles, while Victoria kept her eyes on the screen. His sister must have taken off, and I was a little sorry I hadn't talked to her much.

"Well, if there wasn't a baby in there already, it sounds like there should be now."

I groaned, turning to face his mother. A smirk lined her lips, one I was all too familiar with, and she winked.

I turned bright beet red.

She got up and gave me a hug. "Oh, I'm just giving you a hard time, sweetheart. An old lady can dream can't she. I need more babies to spoil."

I gave her an awkward hug and shook my head. "No baby," I whispered.

She winked again, so I decided to just give up. She had a one-track mind.

Thankfully, his dad saved us, asking Edward about the game and some other crap I had no idea about. I took a seat next to Edward on the couch, surrounded by his family, mostly strangers, and felt like I belonged there. Right in the middle of this crazy, amazing, normal family, I belonged.

* * *

**Hi!**

**Sorry I took a couple days to get this up. **

**Just want to thank you guys again for the lovely reviews. Old readers and new make me smile so freaking big.**

**Hope you enjoy!  
See you tomorrow!**

**Love, Jami **


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

* * *

The next day, Edward left as soon as the sun came up to meet the team and get ready for the game. I was spending the day with his family, and I was a little nervous to be alone with them. I hadn't spent any time with his sister, and I wasn't sure how to feel about that. I was sorta insecure about it, being that she was all buddy-buddy with his ex, and I hated that bitch.

It was important to make an effort to get to know her, though. She was important to Edward. Really important. It wouldn't earn me any gold stars if I were rude to her. She just had really crappy taste in friends.

We'd ended up shopping, which I thought I'd hate, and then lunch. I had the best time with Alice, Edward's fun, silly, and very down to earth younger sister. By the end of the day, we'd become friends. His mom was of course awesome.

Being with them was and odd experience. I didn't usually do well with other women. Rosalie was my first, and only female friend. But they were completely different than most women I'd met. They weren't competitive, or judgmental. Or bitchy—thank God.

Esme, Edward's mother, was quickly becoming one of my favorite people on the planet. After only a day with her, I wanted her to know everything about me. I wanted to ask her about everything. Beg her to explain life to me, the way a mother should. She was so much like Rosalie. So caring and generous and affectionate. I never wanted to leave.

We finished up lunch and got back to the house with just enough time to get ready for the game. I didn't think anyone could be more excited about a hockey than Emmett, but I was so wrong.

These people were hockey fanatics. I guess when your son is a hot stuff Hockey star, you kind of had to be. And as I'd learned from his mother, she had never missed one of his games in all his years growing up. Not until he moved to Seattle to play for Twilight. But, she didn't miss one of those games, either. She watched them on TV, of course, but she had never missed one.

And she made sure I was part of the preparation. This was going to be a huge part of my life, and honestly, hearing her say it excited me.

I was starting to really like the game. I still had no idea what the rules were or how it was actually played, but I liked watching them on the ice, swinging those sticks around and whacking that little puck. There was a lot of aggressive grunting and pushing and shoving, which didn't suck—especially when it was Edward. It was hot when he was rough, I wasn't going to lie.

I pulled out a pair of my best jeans; the ones that made my ass look awesome, and then threw on the shirt Edward's mom gave me to wear. It was an old jersey of Edward's. Cullen written across the back and about four sizes too big. I stood in front of the mirror above the vanity in the bathroom upstairs and surveyed the situation. I wanted to look hot, like a little sexy devil for him. I wanted him to look me over from head to toe when he saw me.

The jersey was great, in theory, but I looked like I was wearing… well, Edward's shirt. I knotted it up at the bottom, so at least it wouldn't cover my butt. That just made it worse. My second best assets were smothered by the giant tarp of a shirt. I grasped my breasts in my hands, pushing them around in my bra.

"Where are my boobies, damn it. I have good boobies. I need to show the boobies. He loves the boobies."

"I bet he does."

I jumped, letting out a little squeak and turned to face the voice in the doorway. Jasper stood with both hands against the door frame, smiling his cute little smirk with a straw sticking out of his mouth and a mischievous little spark in his eyes.

"Ugh. What are you doing? Get out of here."

He chuckled. Taking the straw out of his mouth, he began twirling it between his fingers. "You're right. Those are good boobs. Great boobs."

I let out a shrill scream and shook my head. "You're unbelievable! Edward's going to kick your ass when I tell him you were up here bugging me. Go away… shoo!"

"You think I'm pretty," he said, shoving the straw back in his mouth.

"Yeah, pretty dumb." I turned back to the mirror and glanced at him through it. "Can you scram? I'm mortified—bordering on hysteria here. Can you cut a girl some slack and give me a minute to find my God damn dignity?"

"I like you, Bella." He leaned his back against the door jamb and bent one knee against it. "He loves you, I can tell. I've never seen him so happy. It's good. He needed a girl like you. He's always too serious."

I barked out a laugh. "No, he isn't. Not really."

He clucked his tongue and shook his head. "No, really, he hasn't been like this since we were kids. He always plans everything out, a step ahead of himself. I can tell you loosen him up. It's real good seeing him happy."

I turned and gave him an over-dramatic smile. "Aren't you so cute, worrying about your little brother. Who knew you were so touchy-feely?"

He laughed out loud. "I'm not that touchy-feely, but he is my little brother. He's been living like a monk, all tied up in knots over some chick he didn't even know. Now I know why he held out for ya. You're pretty cool, Bella."

I rolled my eyes and went back to the task at hand—the damn shirt. "I can't wear this damn thing. I look ridiculous!" I threw my hands down at my side and frowned at myself in the mirror.

"Nah, you look hot. He'll dig that you're wearing that jersey. My mom is pretty smart. She knows."

"You think?" I asked, peering over at him.

"Hell yeah. You're wearing his name on your back. His jersey. Yeah, you're good, girl. Why are you worried? I'm pretty sure he likes you in anything, or nothing," he said and then snorted at his own joke.

"Okay. You're done. Beat it." I walked toward the doorway, my hands extended in front of me, ready to push him out and slam the door.

But I grinned while doing it. I liked Jasper. He was a pain in the ass, but I could tell right away he was harmless. A gentle itch.

"You better hurry up. He's going to want to see you before he plays."

My brow furrowed. "That's allowed? I usually catch up with him afterwards."

He backed out of the room and rolled his finger in a hurry the fuck up gesture. "You got a lot to learn, little lady. Get a move on it."

*****Slapshot*****

The ride to the arena was interesting. His father drove like a grandpa, and his mother bitched about it the entire time. Me and Alice sat in the back, laughing at their antics and swapping lip gloss. It was so normal and fun, and it was just another reminder of the childhood I'd been robbed of. I'd never been on a road trip, not that a drive to the city was a road trip, but still. It was this amazing bonding experience, and I'd never forget that forty-five minute ride. Once we got there, we were shuffled off to a special section and took our seats.

I could have touched the ice if I'd had the gumption to throw myself over the wall. Which I didn't. I didn't get to see Edward before the game after all, but with the traffic and parking situation, and his dad's fear of pressing on the gas pedal, we made it with just enough time to buy out the concession stand and get to our seats. I would never get used to the chill inside the arena. It didn't seem to bother any of them, and his mother told me I'd get used to it.

"You look adorable. Did I tell you that already?" she said, patting my knee and winking. "I'm just tickled that you two are so happy."

"I am happy," I told her, leaning into her unconsciously. She was warm and comfy and she smelled so damn good. Kind of like Pine Sol and cookies combined.

All those instincts just wrapped around her and I never wanted to leave. All the fears I'd had weeks earlier seemed so silly and unfounded. I'd been nervous about telling her we were living together, especially since it happened so suddenly, and so soon. But, there was no reason. She'd been thrilled. I had a feeling it was because of her wacko obsession with the baby situation, but nonetheless, she was happy for us. It wasn't an issue at all.

The pre-game was in full swing, and the place was a zoo. Music blared from the speakers, people were scrambling around and cheering and yelling, some stupid furry thing was floating around on the ice with its arms high and wide, and the smell of popcorn and hot chocolate coated the air. I had to admit, it was pretty awesome.

"There you guys are!" I shuddered, and it was a different sort of tremor than the chill that prickled my skin from being so cold.

I was pretty sure that voice would haunt me in my sleep. The voice belonging to the scallywag tramp hanging off Garrett's arm.

After finding out the whole situation with Garrett and his wife, I so hated Victoria even more. Was she collecting Cullen dick or something? I didn't even want to go there. It was just… nasty. And I was related to a professional slut, so I knew one when I smelled one.

She had the stench of a thousand men and desperation. I wanted to punch her straight in the throat. I couldn't even force myself to look over at them. There was a surge of barf making its way up and out of my throat and I just knew that once I saw her sickly sweet smile, I'd yack.

"Didn't know you all were coming." Esme shifted in her seat, throwing her arm over my shoulder and pulling me closer.

Well that was interesting.

"There's room on the other side of your dad, Gar."

I let out a breath of relief. At least I wouldn't have to sit next to her. That, I was sure I wouldn't be able to deal with. I wanted to watch my man kick ass, not smell hoochie all night.

They made their way past Carl, who was sitting in front of us, and scrunched in between him and Jasper.

"I know you don't like her, you know."

I lifted my head and stared at Esme, unsure how to react. "I really don't," I admitted.

"She won't be around long, sweetheart. Garrett is being an idiot, but she's on borrowed time. He'll realize soon enough she is nothing but a hussy and move himself right back where he belongs."

I breathed out a laugh and leaned forward to whisper. "I thought you all liked her. Why is she always around?"

She sighed and leaned in to whisper in my ear. "Like I said, Garrett will wake up soon enough."

I still didn't get it. If I were her, I'd tell the troll to wait on the porch—not allow her in my house to sup with the family. But I was the new kid on the block—what did I know?

Esme continued rubbing my knee, and I was glad for the distraction. I was grinding my teeth, working hard to keep my eyes on the ice and not on the bitchy strawberry sitting kitty corner to me. But she wasn't having it.

"So, Bella, I bet you're excited to see Edward play. It's always so exciting to see him in action."

I moved my eyes in her direction, a side-eye if you will, and smirked. "I've seen him play before, Victoria. He didn't pick me up on the side of the road yesterday. We've been dating a while now."

I was aggravated, and the tone of my voice made that clear.

"Oh, well, that's good."

I nodded, moving my eyes away from her again.

"I almost wore my Cullen jersey today, too. We could've been twins!"

Esme pinched my knee and I swear my entire leg jumped. I was about to monkey crawl over the chairs and just… tear her up.

"Why do you still have that, Victoria?" Jasper asked, leaning his elbow on the back of his chair and watching her reaction with a wicked smile on his face.

"He gave it to me when they won state our senior year. I just can't seem to part with it. He wanted me to have it."

"You mean you took it out of the laundry and smuggled it out," Alice snorted.

My eyebrows shot up and I leaned forward to gage Alice's reaction. They were supposedly friendly, so it surprised me that she called her out.

"So you collect your old boyfriends clothing? Are you hoarding Garrett's dirty shorts, too?" I couldn't help myself. She was plain awful.

Jasper's guffaw rang out over the rumble of the crowd and I chuckled as I watched Carl's shoulders shake with laughter.

"No, Bella, it's nostalgic. We were together for four years. I have a lot of mementos from our time together." Her lips pinched into a malicious smile.

Yeah, she was really trying to start with me. She had the wrong bitch. He was all mine, and she was delusional if she thought she could put some insecurities into my head—especially after the night Edward and I spent together. He'd erased all doubt from my head—both with words and actions. He wasn't interested in her and it'd been years since they'd been together.

At that moment, I almost felt bad for Garrett. He was a stupid ass for not reading between the lines.

"Ah, that's so cute. I save shit like that, too. I still have this piece of sandpaper I colored on when I was in third grade. I drew a picture of me holding a chainsaw. I was obsessed with horror movies. My mom couldn't afford a babysitter, so she sat me in front of the television watching slasher flicks while she went on dates. She knew I wouldn't leave the house after watching those."

Jasper was practically on the floor. Garrett turned to look at me for the first time, and I was surprised to see a small smirk on his face.

Score for me. Bella 1, old shoe 0.

"You're a piece of work, young lady," Carl said, turning and patting my knee. "Ed's got a live one on his hands."

I smiled, triumphant and pleased with my crazy self. I shifted in my seat and faced the ice fully. I wasn't diving into her delusional flashbacks anymore.

"Shhh! It's time!"

Suddenly, lights flashed everywhere, and the music picked up a beat. The doors on the side of the ice opened and the ice flooded with ginormous hockey players. The announcer introduced the teams, the players, whatever. I had my eye out for my man. I was really glad I'd worn that big ol' jersey and made a mental note to grab myself a new one. A Twilight one.

I was pretty damn proud to belong to that hunk of a man, and I wanted the world to know it.

Time passed in a flurry of action and my eyes were everywhere. It was hard as hell to follow him as he zipped past, but Esme's screams made it easier to keep track of him. Every time he got close to us, she stood and waved like a lunatic, screaming at the top of her lungs at her baby boy. It was amazing how supportive they were.

Of course, his dad's encouragement sounded more like insults, but still, he was there and pretty proud to be Edward Cullen's dad. Apparently, we were winning, so I made sure to jump up and 'yay' every time everyone else did. An ear-piercing buzzer went off, and Esme elbowed me in the side.

"Another intermission. You're squirming. Do you need to use the potty?"

Dear lord. This lady was nuts. "I'm just cold. I think I'll go to the concessions though."

She raised an eyebrow. "You're not hungry again, are you?"

I sort of was; mostly because the food was delicious. I was already in love with the nachos. "I think I want some more nachos, and maybe another chocolate chip cookie." I smiled sheepishly and she waved me off.

"You all right to go on your own, or you need me to go along?"

I gathered up my purse and shook my head. "Nah, you wait here. You want anything?"

"I'll go with you, Bella. I can use a visit to the little girl's room."

My back tensed, but I wasn't going to let her make me look like an even bigger jerk in front of Edward's parents. So I nodded without looking at her and headed up the stairs toward the food area.

"Boy, you're taking those steps two at a time. If I didn't know better, I'd say you were trying to ditch me," she said, panting as she caught up.

I bit my tongue and went ahead up the stairs without another word. What the hell was her deal? She grabbed my arm, and my instincts went haywire. I was ready to go ninja.

"What the hell do you want, Victoria?"

Her eyes went wide. "I thought we could get to know each other a little. I mean, we're dating brothers." She flipped her hair over her shoulder and rolled her eyes like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"That makes not a bit of difference. It's not like we're going to be around each other, Victoria. Edward and I are leaving the day after tomorrow, and if I had to wager on your relationship with Garrett, I'd give it a month. Tops."

Finally, she showed some real emotion and glared before taking a step toward me. She had me by at least a few inches in height, but I wasn't afraid of her. She wouldn't dare take a swing at me and risk breaking a nail. Besides, she wouldn't want to tarnish her little fake Miss Perfect act.

"You know what? I don't need to take this from you. You think you matter? You don't. You're just another one of his little West coast flings. When he comes home, he comes to me. When I heard he was bringing you, I have to admit, I was surprised. But I didn't intend on stealing him away or anything. I've moved on with Garrett, and I'm happy with him, so just calm down."

I laughed. She was hilarious. "I don't believe anything that comes out of your mouth. I know you're jealous, and you know what? It doesn't even matter. Edward loves me. I'm no drive-by. I think you're going out with Garrett so you can keep that connection to Edward. Don't even pretend like you're not. And I can't believe you're dating a man who is still married, the brother of your ex-boyfriend no less, and you have the nerve to come at me. Kiss my ass, Victoria."

I turned to walk away from her, done with the crazy ex-girlfriend bullshit. I had no capacity for it in my life, and I'd never had to deal with it before. I honestly thought that crap was a myth, but apparently, she'd read the jilted lover handbook and took some serious notes. I was smart enough to walk away and stand my ground. I was better than that—by a very narrow margin.

The line was short, so I ordered my cheesy nachos and grabbed a cherry icee to go with them. It was probably not the best idea since I was already freezing, but icee's and nachos were sort of like peanut butter and jelly. You just had to.

I didn't wait for Victoria, there was no reason. I hadn't even seen her after I told her off and walked away. I got back to my seat just in time for the buzzer to sound off, and Carl turned around to grab a couple of my chips.

"Just in time, kiddo. You don't want to miss this. We're going for the win here!" He popped them in his mouth, chomping loudly and then washed it down with a giant gulp of beer.

He'd had about six cups, and I wondered how the hell we were getting home.

"Here we go!" Esme yelled as the players slid onto the ice.

I spotted him right away and my heart thumped against my ribs when our eyes met. I could barely see the trace of a smile under all his armor, but it was there, and it was all for me. He gave me the four finger salute I'd gotten used to seeing from him when he was out there. And then he pointed to his heart, tapped it with his fist, and pointed at me. I found myself doing the same in return, forgetting the slimy cheese and wiping it all over his jersey.

"Oh yeah, that boy is gone," Jasper groaned, turning in his seat to face me. He smiled and I felt my face flush. "Garrett, you ever seen Edward do sign language on the ice?"

Garrett turned around and his face was soft, much sweeter than he'd been since I'd met him. "Never. I guess the boy is in love."

I smiled and noticed the way Victoria tugged at his arm for him to turn back around. The tips of her ears were bright red, and I smiled, knowing how royally pissed off she was. We all turned our attention to the game, and for the next several minutes we watched as Twilight scored again.

We were ahead four points, and it was looking good. I was glad I was going to get a very happy Edward at the end of the night. I was dizzy watching the plays, startled by the players being slammed into the Plexiglas shield in front of us, and worked up by the sounds of the crowd.

All of a sudden, the volume rose, and the crowd flipped out. Edward's family jumped to their feet, so I followed suit. They cheered and whistled and pumped their arms in the air. We'd won. Edward Won! The smile on my face stretched so wide it hurt.

Then Edward appeared, pressed himself against the shield and pointed at me again. I blew him some kisses, which he returned. Then he turned around and raced toward the middle of the rink.

And then he dropped to one knee.

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**LOVE YOU ALL,**

**Jami **


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

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I gave my chip a couple more chomps, ignoring the gasps from beside me. My brain was short circuiting. What the hell was he doing?

"My heart, my heart!" Esme whimpered.

I looked around, side to side, and back and forth, trying to figure out what was going on. At first, I thought he was hurt. I held my breath, waiting for him to get up, but he didn't. When his teammates gathered around behind him, creating an arc facing where we sat, my confusion grew.

Leaning into Esme's side, I whispered, "What's going on? Is this when they bring the trophy?"

They'd won, which meant they were going to the playoffs. So I didn't know if they got some sort of special award, or what. It was all so freaking confusing and complicated.

She grabbed my face in her hands, knocking my cheesy chips into my lap and gave my cheek a big smacky kiss. "Yes, sweetheart. This is the trophy part!"

There were tears in her eyes, and it made me smile. The love and pride just oozed out of her. Every pore, every part of her. It warmed me all up how much she loved him.

"Oh God! Look at this mess."

She went to work wiping up the cheese while I took in the rest of the family. Carl was all big smiles, Jasper looked like he was about to pass out, and Garrett looked like he was going to puke. I couldn't see what Victoria thought about all of it, but it sort of looked like she was pissed. Alice was hooting and hollering like a lunatic, much like she had been the entire game, and I was just in shock. It was all very exciting, and so much more gripping than the other games I'd been to. It was awesome.

"Shit, that's gonna have to do."

Esme gave me another swipe with the napkin, grabbed my shoulders, and spun me around to face the ice again. It was then that I noticed the silence in the arena. And Edward still on his knee. I gave him a little wave, noticing his eyes on me, and the shit eating grin on his face. I felt lame. I had no idea what else to do. He was just sitting there. It was all so damn weird.

And then he pulled a chain from inside of his jersey, ripped it over his head, and held it out, pointing at me with his free hand. Sam and another player came skating across the ice toward us, and I was like… is this some kind of show? My heart was beating like crazy as I watched them approach. My eyes shot over to Edward, and his smile. Lord. I could just barely make it out, but it was so pure, this vivid little smirk, and I couldn't help it. My heart jumped.

"Get over here, little lady," Sam hollered, crooking his finger.

I cocked my head, and squinted, confused. "Where?"

He pointed at the ice, laughing. "Come here, so I can pull you over."

It was officially nuts up in that arena. Had everyone lost their minds? There was no way I was going over that divider and onto that ice. It was unheard of. None of the other spectators were on the damn ice, and I knew for a fact I'd break my ass if I was on it. I'd already nixed Edward's pleas to get me on ice skates because I was incapable of balance.

"Take…" I looked around at the family, and finally settled on Alice. "Take Alice. She can go."

He groaned, and then leaned over to whisper something to the other guy.

"Oh Jesus," Garrett muttered before he got up, turned around, and then threw me over his shoulder in one quick swoop.

I squealed, and then slammed my eyes shut as I was hefted over the divider and into Sam's arms.

"Ahh, she's light as a feather. I got this," he said to the other guy.

He went sliding across the ice, holding me like a freaking child and I held my breath. I was holding back tears. I was going to kill Edward for humiliating me. I mean, for Christ's sake. This was more than ridiculous.

He slowed as we got to the center of the ice and put me on my feet, holding my shoulders so I wouldn't fall.

"What the hell?" I griped. My knees wobbled and my body tensed. I was going to eat it, I just knew it, and on damn TV no less.

I turned to face Edward and everything else slipped away. All I could see was his eyes, and then that ring. A ring. In his hand.

"Marry me."

My knees finally gave out and I slid to the freezing ass cold ice in front of him, my gaze locked on that rock. "What have you done?" I whispered. My voice cracked; my eyes leaked. Nothing could have prepared me for this.

"You made me fall in love with you, pretty girl. Marry me. I promise I'll love you every day for the rest of my life."

"Yes," I choked out. I mean, seriously. There was no other answer. Yes. Fucking yes.

"That's my girl," he said gruffly. He pulled me toward him, and we fell, his back to the ice and me in his arms.

The arena went ballistic, but all I could hear was Edward's heartbeat against my ear.

****Slapshot****

After getting carried off the ice in Edward's arms, I met up with his family while he did whatever the hell in the locker room, and then we were off to the house. The whole thing was surreal. Crazy. I was at a loss for words—which for me was something—but took every well wish from every stranger with a smile.

I'm not sure what they thought of me. I just nodded and stared. I was in shock and so damn happy. I didn't know how to act. Poor Esme was close to stroking out the way she was carrying on. I don't even think my mom was that excited when I was born.

Esme couldn't keep her hands off me. The patting, and petting, and kissing was starting to drive me bonkers. My nerves were like lightning, ready to pop and crack and catch on fire. All I wanted was Edward and to put the whole event into perspective.

I was getting married? How. In. The. Fuck? I mean, I knew we were sort of in that place—serious—but I guess I wasn't prepared for how it would make me feel inside. Complete. Full circle closed up and ready to roll. That family I was dying to have as my own, well, it was right there, staring me in the face waving like crazy. I was getting everything I ever wanted, and it scared and elated me all at once.

I was in love, was being loved, had been embraced by the in-laws, and had the most amazingly surprise proposal by the man of my dreams.

I could fold up the tent. I had it all.

I had to pinch myself on the drive back to the house. Over and over again. Real. Real. Real. This was my life. Me—Bella Swan was the luckiest girl in the world. If I had graduated from high school—which I hadn't—I guarantee the caption under my name would not have had that statement.

Esme made Carl stop off at the convenience store on the way home—apparently, we needed champagne to celebrate. They didn't have any, of course, but she loaded up on some cheap bottles of wine instead. I sat in the Cullen family room, numb, while the roars of laughter and happiness surrounded me.

I was a part of all of it. It was all for me, and Edward. Us. I couldn't help comparing the reactions those wonderful people gave, and the lukewarm reaction I expected from my mother. At that moment, I realized I didn't care what she thought. At all. She just didn't matter.

But there was someone that I did care about, and I couldn't wait to tell her.

That had to wait, though. The moment I thought about Rose, Edward walked in the door and I was out of my seat and in his arms before he even had the chance to slam the door behind him.

"Are you okay?" he asked softly, pressing his lips into my hair.

I was trembling, and I loved that he could tell I was completely freaking out. Happy, but freaked.

"I'm perfect. I'm so perfect." I pressed my face into his neck and breathed in the fresh soapy scent. He'd showered, but it didn't matter. I just wanted to stay wrapped up around him all night long.

"Come inside! We need to make a toast!" Esme came behind us, trying to pry me off Edward without success. I had a good grip on him, and I wasn't letting go.

Edward realized I needed to be close, so he simply shifted me so I was cradling his hip, and carried me into the family room.

"Congrats, bro! That was pretty cool," Jasper said. "She's a good one. You're lucky she said yes. I would've made my move."

"Shut up, Jasper," I groaned.

"Thanks, man," Edward answered, giving me a little squeeze.

I finally felt composed and coherent enough to actively interact with the family once Edward got there. The room buzzed with the happy energy. We were surrounded by smiles and warm expressions and I was so glad we were able to be with those amazingly wonderful people to share the moment.

Then I realized we were one short.

Victoria was gone. Not that I cared.

"Where'd strawberry go?" I asked Garrett.

He shifted uncomfortably. "I dropped her off. Strawberry, huh. That's a good one, kid."

I huffed. Good riddance to her and her ugly mug. I was so not down to share this with her. She didn't belong. At all. Not with Edward, and not with Garrett.

"I don't mean to be rude," I said, "but she's a drag. She totally verbally assaulted me earlier, and I'm sorry, but I'm glad she isn't here."

He shook his head and chuckled softly before looking up at Edward. "She's gone. Done. It was a mistake, and I didn't even realize how fucked up it was to bring her around this week. I have some shit to work out…" He rubbed the back of his neck, and I actually felt bad for him at that moment.

But I was a little pissed he was bad mooding our happy engagement vibe.

"We'll deal with that later. I want to celebrate my baby boy getting married! We have a wedding to plan, and right now is the time to get started!"

Edward chuckled and it tickled my lips where I had them pressed against his throat. Yeah, I probably should've calmed down the PDA in front of his family, but I was all emotional and had all these feelings. I just wanted to snuggle and kiss and sort of celebrate on our own—if you know what I mean. I'm sure the wine was awesome, but I just wanted Edward.

"Oh, my camera!" Esme cried.

"My mom is probably the only person in America who still uses a regular camera. Come on. Let's go sit down before she has you trying on her wedding dress."

I turned to Alice, horrified. She couldn't be serious. As if she was reading my mind, she nodded. "Oh, dead serious. She tried to pawn that God awful thing off on Kate, too. Run. While you can. Run."

I giggled and looked up at Edward. That moment was just the most normal, happy moment. The belonging was just getting thicker, and having his sister protecting me from his overzealous mother was like the cherry on top.

After an evening of laughter and horrible wine, Edward and I finally made our way upstairs alone. We were both exhausted, him sore and tired and me full-on drunk on my emotions. We stripped down, and I put on my pajamas, and then climbed into bed.

Once we were under the covers, I took the time to really check out my rock. It was gorgeous. Not huge and gaudy like the one Rose wore. It was dainty and beautiful. Unique looking.

"Did you pick this out all on your own?" Holding the ring up in front of me, I snuggled closer to his chest.

"Mmhm. You like it? You didn't say."

I rolled over and gaped at him. "Seriously! I haven't had a second to like, figure this whole thing out. Or like, really enjoy it. I haven't had a chance. Until now. It's really beautiful. I love it."

I gave him a quick kiss on the nose and went back to studying my jewels. "I never had anything real before. This is my first piece of real jewelry, you know that?"

He smiled. "I promise there are more where that came from, babe. Every birthday, every anniversary. You'll be dripping in gold."

I wrinkled my nose. "I'm not one of those, Edward. I think this is all I ever want. I only want to see this. Every day."

His big green eyes pierced into me and I was under his spell again. "That was quite the spectacle. It's so not like you to be so flashy."

"It had to be big. Nothing else would have been acceptable. I know it was too much, but I couldn't resist seeing your cheeks red and your big smile. It's captured on film, so one day, we can show our kids what a romantic dude their father was."

I rolled my eyes. "Oh, we're having kids now?"

"Not today, but we're having them."

Raising an eyebrow, I sat up on my elbow and gawked at him. "Is your mom flooding that brain of yours with baby ideas?"

"She didn't give me any ideas. I think about kids when I think about our future. That's why I gave you the ring, silly girl. One day we'll have them. Don't you want some?"

My eyes softened and I leaned down to kiss him on the cheek, trying desperately to hide the sudden onset of tears. I was almost embarrassed to admit I'd imagined having his babies since the first day he walked into the coffee shop. The silly daydreams of a love-struck girl seemed… well, silly. But now, I was in this other universe—the one where fairy tales came true and knights in shining armor swung hockey sticks and loved weirdo girls with dizzy brains. So yeah, I wanted them.

"I do. I just don't know if I'll be good at it. All my plants die. And I had a cat who ran away because I sucked as a cat mom."

He laughed, his eyes bright. Happy. "You'll figure it out. Kids are easy. Just love them and you'll know what to do. Just love them."

I snuggled into him, suddenly so tired my eyes were aching. It was all hitting me—the proposal, the ring on my finger, his family, and then the whole baby talk. "Can we not have them for a while? I think I'd like to be something first."

His fingers dragged up and down my back, lulling me to sleep. "You are something. You're my Bella."

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**Hi!**

**Thanks so much for reading!**

**Hope y'all liked it. I did change a little bit of this chapter and the last from the older version, but just some tweaks. There are more tweaks in the next several chapters up to the chapters I wrote recently to finish it. It was sort of a mess so I sorted it a bit.**

**And this chapter especially is for my bff Erin. Go read her words if you already haven't. All of them are the best ever. Find her - Les16**

**AND**

**I started a new story, to publish as soon as I finish Slapshot up. It's a fun one I hope you all enjoy.**

**Hot Dirty Copward. "Resisting Undress" coming soon!**

**TEASER:**

_"You shouldn't tease a man with a badge and handcuffs, sweetheart."_

_"Oh God," I moaned, arching into his touch._

_ "You thought you could sway your cute little ass and I'd just let that slide." He clucked his tongue and rubbed against me again. "Where I come from, naughty little girls get punished."_

_His free hand came down on my ass and I felt the sting in every inch of my body. The sound that left my lips was borderline embarrassing, but damn… it felt amazing. It had never been my thing, but at that moment, I was really into spankings._

**Hugs,**

**Jami**


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

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Three to five minutes had never felt so freaking painstakingly long in my life. I sat perched on the bathtub in Rose's bathroom, chewing my fingernails into nubs.

"Is it time yet?"

She turned around and glared. "It's barely been a minute. We have to wait two whole minutes."

I rolled my eyes. We were on the third damn test. I had a feeling I already knew the answer. "Can I look at it? Why are you being all weird about it? You're going to show me, so move!"

"Fine! Shit!" She backed up and let me through, and the only thing I could do was shake my head. "Positive. Knocked up status is a go."

"Holy shit," she breathed out. She plunked down on the edge of the toilet and ran her fingers through her hair. "I can't believe it."

I waved it in the air. "Believe it, dude. You're baking a baby!"

When she looked up at me, the smile on her face was about as beautiful as they came. "I'm having a baby!" I nodded and felt tears sting my eyes. She'd wanted a baby for so long, and if there was anyone in the world that deserved it, it was her. "Holy crap."

"Mmhmm," I hummed. "Congratulations, mama. Those thunder thighs are going to come in handy."

She covered her mouth and let out a small whimper. Her eyes teared up, and she fell back against the wall and slid down, landing with a thud. "I can't believe it. Finally. After all this time!"

I was so excited for them. She'd told me she wanted a baby from the first day I met her, but I never realized how long they'd been trying. Or how hard it had been for them to succeed. It made the whole experience sweeter.

And I was going to be a sort-of aunt. I was going to be the best damn aunt any kid would ever want to have. The fun aunt. Crazy aunt. The aunt who would buy the beer and give the alibi. The kind of aunt who would cause Rose to sprout grey hairs out of her ass.

"Let's go tell the new pop!"

She shook her head and stood quickly. "No! Not yet. I want to make this special for him. He's going to flip."

I was a little disappointed. I wanted to see the big guy's face when he found out, and I had a feeling it was going to be an intimate announcement, so I knew I'd miss it.

"Can I at least tell Edward?" I gave her a pouty face, begged her with my eyes. "Pretty please. It's going to kill me to keep this to myself."

She groaned. "Yes. Fine. But tell him to keep it to himself. You know my husband, the stalker, will be over there, and if Edward slips before I tell him, I will make sure you two never have babies. You got me?"

"Yes, fine! He's not some ol' bitty who gossips with his friends. Sheesh. Calm yourself mommy!"

"It's surreal, that's all. I'm just so excited and I want to make sure when I tell him, it's special."

"Okay," I soothed. "I understand. I'm just excited. This is like, the coolest thing, Rosalie. Thank you for letting me be here. Thank you for wanting me to be here."

She squeezed me tighter. "You're my family, Bella. Of course I wanted you here."

She looked back down at the little plastic contraption, and then back up at me, raising an eyebrow. "Now. One more promise. Don't get married until I lose my baby weight. Wedding pictures last forever. I don't want anyone remembering me as the old fat lady in those pictures."

"Rosalie, who the hell can I promise that? You could be one of those people who never lose it. And you know what? Who cares. You'll come to my wedding, dressed in a hideous dress, fat as hell, and you'll be happy for me. Now—let's go to the kitchen so you can whip me up some lunch. I'm starving."

****Slapshot****

It had been a long day, and I couldn't wait to get home to Edward. He'd been on the road for a few days, and we'd barely had any time to ourselves since getting back from Chicago. Getting myself situated in his space had gone fairly well. I felt more comfortable there than anywhere I'd ever lived. It sounded super lame, but it was like I had always belonged there.

I heard a roar of laughter as I walked up to the house, and smiled. It was nice to hear for a change. For so many years, I'd arrived home to silence—even when I lived with my mom, and later my dad. There was seldom laughter, that was for sure.

I spotted a few of the cars belonging to guys on his team in the parkway, and excitement bubbled up in my belly. I liked having them over. It was so normal, so real. It was pretty much the best part of living with him. The sounds. The laughter. The happy.

"Honey, I'm home," I hollered from the entryway.

I threw down my bag, took off my jacket, and heard Gordie thundering through the house to meet me. I loved that big fluffy mutt, and he loved me just as much. I gave him some cuddles and then went into the kitchen to start some dinner.

I'd picked up some cooking skills while I was staying at Edward's mom's house. And believe it or not, I was a natural. That's what she said, anyway. I learned quick, and I was actually good at it.

I was starving, almost hungry enough to out-eat the entire hockey team. And since we had an entire hockey team in the other room, I had to try to whip something up to feed everyone. I hadn't gone shopping since Edward was due to leave again the next day and it didn't make sense to buy a bunch of groceries when it was just me. So sandwiches would have to do.

I grabbed some turkey, cheese, and condiments from the fridge and placed them on the counter. Just as I turned to get the bread, Edward walked into the room and everything else was forgotten.

"Hey," I said.

He looked so relaxed in his jeans and t-shirt, and again, I couldn't wait until playoffs were over so he'd be all mine. I had to admit—I was torn. It was exciting, and yet, I was really looking forward to spending more time together. Just us. He cleared the room, taking slow, long strides until he could wrap his arms around me. I stood on my tiptoes and puckered my lips for a kiss. His lips lingered, his arms squeezed tighter, drawing me forward, and I sighed, happily.

"What are you doing in here?"

"Just thinking."

He moved his lips across my jaw and muttered against my skin. "Dangerous."

I giggled. "I thought you guys would be hungry. If I'd known we were having company, I would have stopped off to pick up pizzas or something. Sandwiches are about as good as it's going to get."

"You don't need to do anything. They're about to take off, anyway."

I couldn't help it. I smiled. "You mean I actually get to have you all to myself?"

He hummed against my hair and rocked me in his arms. "I had plans. I was wondering where you were. Where were you today?"

I pulled back and smiled, bigger than I had since the day we met. "I worked late. Rose took the day off. I was with her all morning, and then went in to close up and help out."

"Is she sick?" His face fell, concern lining his eyes.

"I wouldn't say that. But she will be."

"Can you explain that?"

I jumped back, waving my hands around and bounced on my heels. "She's pregnant! They're having a baby!"

His smile beamed. "No shit? That's awesome. Has she told Emmett yet?"

I shook my head. "No, and she made me promise that you wouldn't say a word to him. She's going to tell him soon, but she wants it to be special. And a surprise."

"That's really good, babe. So, you were there when she found out."

I nodded, excitedly. "Edward, it was so cool. She lost it, like in a good way. She wants this so much. I'm so happy."

Something passed in his eyes and it did something to my insides. It was that silent hope, that one day, a long ways away, that would be us. We'd have that good news to share with friends, we'd have a little bun in the oven, and eventually, a baby to cuddle. I was in no way ready, and after the freaking not-so-subtle hints from his mother, I was even more sure I wanted to wait.

But I had to admit, looking forward to it was pretty awesome.

"So, let me get rid of these assholes and we'll celebrate. I want to take you out tonight. We haven't had a date since we started dating. I think I owe you a night out on the town. My fiancé."

I squealed. "For reals? Where? What are we going to do?"

He winked and turned to walk out of the room. "It's a surprise. Put on something pretty and meet me down here in an hour."

I didn't need to be told twice. I grabbed all the crap I'd laid out and chucked it back in the fridge before running up the stairs to get ready.

*****Slapshot*****

I had to bite the inside of my mouth to stop myself from asking where we were going. I was excited. I hadn't seen him dressed up, ever. And we hadn't been out on a date in a while. I hadn't even realized how monk like we'd become.

But seeing him in dress slacks? Lordy. It took every ounce of willpower not to just reach over rub my hands all over his legs. And that ass. His beard was working with the get-up, too. He looked so snazzy, so much like a freaking man.

I had to admit I wasn't looking too bad myself. I spent extra time twirling my hair into nice waves, dabbed on a couple extra bits of makeup, and put on a pretty dress—just like he asked. I'd gotten quite a few dresses since we'd gotten together. He seemed to like digging around up my skirt, and I sort of loved that he did it.

It was all about convenience.

He pulled up in front of a ritzy looking restaurant, and I looked down at my outfit, unsure of the little ditty I was wearing. It was nice, but it was in no way dressy.

"We're eating here?" He smiled and reached over, pulling my hand to his lips and gave me a soft kiss.

"No. Not here. There." He pointed across the street and I let out a sigh of relief.

"Oh good. This place looks, um, swanky. "I wasn't sure how to describe it, but honestly, it looked like one of those places where you'd have to eat a pre-meal before you went. One of those mini meal restaurants with squishy meals and snooty waiters.

No thanks. I liked filling my belly way too much to waste a meal on one of those places.

He helped me out of the car once he parked the monster of a truck, and laced his fingers with mine as we walked across the street. The restaurant was more of a sports grill, and I was relieved. It was so much better than I thought. Cheese. I couldn't wait to order every cheesy item on the menu. I was still starving.

The bashful little hostess seated us in a booth toward the back, at the request of Edward, and then took our drink orders before taking off like her ass was on fire. I could tell he had her flustered, but at least she had the decency not to act like a hooker—like women usually did around him.

He snuggled into the booth next to me and threw his arm over my shoulders. "I love you," he whispered, kissing the shell of my ear. "Sam said this place has the best cheese fries in the city. Only the best for my girl."

I was like putty in his hands. I melted against him and closed my eyes, soaking up every drop of his attention. Would I ever get enough of him? No. Answer was never. Ever.

"I love you because you remember how much I love food," I told him.

It was ridiculously true. He knew and remembered everything. Every dumb little thing, he never forgot.

"By the way. Your mom called while you were getting ready."

"Ugh," I groaned, rolling my eyes. I grabbed the menu to give myself something to do. "What'd she say?"

I really didn't even want to know. I was so glad she was gone, and more than that, I was done with her. It was a screwed up thing to say, and think, but it was true. She made me miserable. She was a nightmare, always there to throw a curve ball to mess up my life. It was hard to admit she just didn't like me. She didn't like having a kid—never had. She wasn't cut out for it, and I was sick of feeling like an inconvenience to her. That was, until I was convenient, and she needed something from me.

It was a bitter pill to swallow, for sure. Edward and his family taught me a lot in the time I spent there, and the most important thing was blood didn't make family. She was no more than a stranger to me. I was building my own life with a new self-built family, and I'd never been happier.

That was part of her issue, I was sure of it. She loved rubbing my nose in the fact that I was a failure. It must have really chapped her ass to see me so happy and moving forward. Edward filled up all the gaps she'd left open, and then some. She'd never have what I had, and for that, I felt badly for her. Not enough to invite her to stay and be a part of my new life, but enough for me to let her go and not worry about dealing with her anymore.

"Let me guess. She needs money. A place to stay. She's marrying a king."

He snorted and moved to grab his menu. "Nah, nothing so extreme. She wanted to know why you haven't called her."

Again—eye roll. "Did you tell her I was busy, with you know… life."

That was just like my mother. She hadn't called me since she left but expected me to hunt her down. It wasn't going to happen.

"I did tell her. Then she started bugging me about the wedding."

Figured. She was such an asshole. "What'd you say?"

Honestly, I was a little curious about his answer. We hadn't talked much about when we were going to get married since leaving Chicago. I was anxious about the whole wedding part. The engagement part was awesome.

"I told her she'd know as soon as we sent out the invitations."

My jaw dropped. Damn. He really, really, hated my mom. "Did she freak out?"

"Probably. I hung up before she could. If I had my way, I wouldn't invite her."

I understood that, to be honest. Knowing my mother, she would ruin it just to get attention. It wouldn't surprise me a bit.

"She'll find out when it is and spoil it if we don't. I'm so sorry my mother is a freak."

I looked back down at my menu, gritting my teeth. I didn't want our beautiful date sullied by my stupid mother. It was so annoying. She could turn a rainbow into poison arrows.

He reached over and grabbed my chin, turning my face up to look at him. "She'll get an invitation just like everyone else. If she starts anything, she's out. I promise you that your wedding will be amazing. Everything you ever wanted."

I blinked away tears and smiled. "Our wedding," I clarified.

"Our wedding."

Just as he leaned in to kiss me again, the waitress walked up and the moment was gone. We both ordered the cheese fries, cheeseburgers, and I got a chocolate shake. He didn't usually eat so much crap before he had to play, but it was a special occasion, for many reasons. I was glad he was letting loose. He could get anal about things sometimes—a quirk I found frustrating since we started living together. But I was getting used to it. And I was beginning to work with it, to make things easier for him. He forgave me for my messy crap, so I dealt with his freaking order.

Compromise.

After we ate, we walked around the area for a while, just people watching and enjoying the fresh air. It was up there on the list of best dates ever. We just enjoyed being together, holding hands, smiling at each other, and taking in the city. We didn't walk for long—I wore new shoes—and decided to go back to the house and watch movies. Once we were comfortable and curled up on the couch with goodies—ice cream for me, frozen yogurt for him—and the smelly dog at our feet, we turned on the movie and snuggled up for a nice quiet night of nothing but us.

* * *

**Thank you for reading!**

**Love, Jami**


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 25**

* * *

I woke up groggy and very much alone. Edward had gone to take care of business—some sort of licensing deal I couldn't comprehend—and wouldn't be home until later in the evening. I finally dragged my butt out of bed, crawled down the stairs toward coffee and sugar cereal, and barely had my eyes open before I had the holy bajeesus scared out of me.

"My brother is truly the luckiest bastard alive."

I jumped out of my skin, grabbed onto the refrigerator like it'd protect me, and screamed like a wild banshee. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Jasper smirked. "You might want to put on some clothes before Garrett gets up."

I looked down at myself and groaned. "Get out of here. Get out! Get out! Get out!"

I could hear his laughter all the way into the other room, and wanted to crawl into a hole and die. How was I supposed to know we'd have company? Who even did that? Showed up at someone's house unannounced? I realized I still had to get back to the room in nothing but a tank top and underwear. Not even good underwear, which shouldn't have been a problem, but who wants to get caught up in their laundry day chonies in front of their boyfriend's brothers?

I looked around the room, desperate for something to throw on to cover myself up. Dish towels and potholders weren't going to cut it, but I remembered the apron Rose had given me when I moved in. I went to the cabinet and ripped it off the hook, groaning when I looked at the goofy pattern. They were going to eat me alive, and it wasn't even nine in the morning. I wrapped it around me, tied it in back, and walked swiftly through the kitchen toward the stairs.

My dignity had already been bruised—there was no saving it—but I wasn't going to stand around in my underwear all day just to avoid Jasper. Besides—Garrett was roaming around somewhere, and that was just double damn jeopardy.

I stared at my feet as I sped through the living room, holding the back of the apron together with my hands and tried to ignore Jasper's sniggering as I passed. How was it that Edward was about the sweetest man I'd ever met, and his brothers were the hounds of fucking hell. They were immature dickheads. I'd always wished I had siblings growing up. Knowing them less than a month and I was glad the one thing my mother could manage to get right was birth control.

I ran into the bathroom, slamming the door behind me and locking it. If I hadn't been so in love with Edward, I would have taken off and told him to pound sand. A little note would have been nice, a head's up or something.

"Dumb man," I mumbled. "See if that ol' dickery of yours can suck itself tonight. Hmmm."

I turned the faucet in the shower and stripped out of my ridiculous get up while I waited for it to warm up. Thankfully we had our own bathroom—at least there was no danger of running into one of them in there. I took my time in, scrubbed, foamed, and shaved everything nice and thoroughly before getting out.

Once I was done, I felt a little better—at least a little calmer—and wrapped myself in a towel. I was glad I didn't have to open the coffee shop anymore. Rose had been pretty sick, and oddly enough, her morning sickness was more like early evening sickness. She moved the shifts around and came in early so she could get home before all the fun began. I felt so bad for her. That was something I was definitely not looking forward to.

I had never been around someone while they were pregnant, and I was carefully calculating every experience in my brain for later use. Sickness? Wasn't a fan. Sore titties? Didn't care too much for that either. Mostly, I worried about the cranky moody shit she was going through. I wasn't exactly sure Emmett would make it through the next few months alive. He was annoying on a regular day—add hormones and swollen feet and he was a walking bullseye.

God bless him.

It was all very exciting—sickness and body morphing aside—and I was still so glad I was a part of it from the beginning. There was so much to do, so many things to talk about, and so, so many things to look forward to.

And then there was our wedding.

Rose had been so helpful, giving her opinions and suggestions, and I appreciate it so much. Edward's mom, on the other hand, was just on crack. I wondered about her for a while, but I was finally starting to get it. At first, it didn't make sense. She'd already married off one son, even though that wasn't necessarily a happily ever after, and she had Alice to plan a wedding for one day. Her enthusiasm just unnerved me.

Maybe it was my mommy issues, or just issues in general, but I really hoped I didn't let her down.

Someone knocked on the door and my whole body shook. I was lost in my thoughts and forgot all about my new house guests.

"What?" I called.

"We're going to grab some breakfast. You wanna come?"

I tilted my head and stared at myself in the mirror. Breakfast with the boys would be good. I could lay down some ground rules and let them know there would be no monkey business while they stayed with us. I'd just gotten used to sharing the house with Edward, and I wanted to make sure they got it through their heads that I was the lady of the house.

I snorted at myself and shook my head. "Yeah, hang on. I need to get dressed."

I heard Jasper chuckle. "Or not. You don't have to. Those granny panties were doing it for me."

I rolled my eyes. Freaking boy.

I grabbed up some clothes that would pass for clean off my chair in the corner, and went downstairs to meet the boys.

It was going to be an interesting day.

*****Slapshot*****

"Okay, we've skirted around this all day I feel, so I'm just going to go ahead and be the asshole who says it. You are such a freaking psycho for dating your brother's high school girlfriend. Especially while you're still married."

Jasper let out a low whistle and sat forward putting his elbows on his knees. "Been waiting for that all day."

Honestly, I'd had a good day with Edward's brothers. I still had no idea why they were there out of the blue. It was super random and I had a feeling it had to do with Garrett. Yes, I understood he was having some sort of mid-life crisis at thirty, but still. I had to hold myself back the entire day.

And it sucked because I liked him. A lot. He was way calmer than Jasper, but still had a really good sense of humor. It was easy to see he was suffering, though. The storm was deep behind his eyes, and I had sympathy for that. But I still didn't understand how he could canoodle with fucking Victoria while his wife and kids were likely suffering worse.

"It was a mistake," he said quietly. "I don't want to get into it. You don't understand."

I laughed. "Oh, I understand. See, my mother is a serial deserter. And she always makes herself into the victim, too. But that shit hurts everyone, Garrett. You're whole family."

"I never cheated," he seethed. He stood from where he was sitting on the couch across from us and started to pace. "I never cheated. I never wanted to leave. She made me leave."

Edward sighed and stood and walked over to his brother. "G, sit down, man. I know this is all fucked up. You need to talk to us, we're here."

Garrett turned and pointed at me. "You think it's going to be good all the time, Bella? You're wrong. Edward gone all the time, you'll resent him. You're going to be pissed all the time. He gets home, it's sweet for a minute, and then you remember he wasn't around, and you'll turn that shit on him."

"Never," I insisted, even though I wasn't sure what he was saying wasn't true. I didn't deal with his absence well at all.

"You think that now."

"That doesn't explain Victoria."

He laughed. Then looked over at Edward. "I never meant to disrespect you."

It was Edward's turn to laugh, and honestly, why were they laughing? I found nothing funny about that bitch.

"It's kind of fucked up, only because it's weird. I could care less what she does. Or you. But having her around was messed up, and you know that. Nobody wants that chick around. It took me forever to get rid of her and you opened that door."

I held up a hand. "Question for the class. If you're so upset about your wife kicking you out, why are you screwing dirty whores instead of trying to get her back? What about your kids?"

He ran his hands through his hair and groaned. Jasper let out a small huff and announced he was getting another beer and left the room. It was good to know I wasn't the only one pissed off about this part.

"I don't know. I was lonely, I guess. Hurt, pissed. It was a bad idea. I'm paying for it. Believe me."

"Don't doubt that," Edward mumbled.

I honestly couldn't imagine what his wife was going through. I would want to rip his wiener off and throw it in the garbage disposal and then force feed it through a tube once I beat him to a pulp. I looked over at Edward and hoped the images in my head got to him through mental telepathy because I would commit seriously heinous shit if he thought about cheating on me while I had kids to feed and a bun in the oven.

Seriously. Heinous fucking crimes.

"Get your shit together, Bro. You can stay here as long as you want. You know it. Work on Katie. Get her to a good place, take your time. Your kids deserve better than this. Imagine Dad wasn't there for us. Think about that."

Jasper re-entered the room with three beers, handed them off and plopped down next to me. He nudged me with his knee and I looked over at him.

I think it was the first time I'd seen him halfway serious since we'd met.

"Kate gets trippy every time she gets pregnant. She puts up a shield, and gets too lost in her own head. It's the fucking hormones. If they didn't make the most amazing kids on earth, I'd tell Garrett to get snipped so she wouldn't go through this shit."

"Jesus," Garrett hissed. "Easy."

Jasper laughed lightly and took the cap off his bottle. "I'm not saying it to be a dick. I love the hell out of Kate." He turned to me, smiling. "When you meet her, you'll see. She's the sweetest, warmest woman I've ever met. Has been since she was young. Shy, caring, kind. But those hormones click in and she changes. Once the baby comes, boom! She's back to being the same ol' Katie. This dick just doesn't see it."

"I see it all."

"That's why you live with mom and dad and not with your kids."

Garrett turned, glared at him, and then stormed out of the room.

And then I felt bad for ruining our good day.

"Well, leave it to me to shit in the pool."

"Nah," Edward said, taking his seat next to me and grabbing the beer Jasper brought. "He's avoiding it. He'll get through it. He just needs to sort it out. It's good he's talking about it. Mom said he won't say anything to her about it."

Jasper laughed. "The Victoria shit just about gave her a coronary."

I wondered about that. Especially how grand baby crazy she was. How she let that devil troll in her home, I would never understand.

"Okay. So, what can we do about getting them back together because I want to be an aunt. I never thought I would be. Being an only child, it's a 50-50."

Edward squeezed my leg. "You'll still be an aunt. Wait until you meet Tyler and Jessie. Cutest kids you'll ever meet. And they think I'm awesome."

I rolled my eyes. "Of course they do."

"They like me better," Jasper said.

Another eye roll. Jesus, they were the one-up kings.

"Okay, so are we going to finish this movie now that I screwed up family night, or what?"

Edward stood, held his hand out for me, and motioned at the stairs. "We're going to bed. Jasper can watch it himself."

"What'd I do?"

I took Edward's hand and then looked back at Jasper. "You're on your own. I'm dropping my shield."

He laughed. "Bell, baby, you have no shield. You're like opening a bag of chips at the movies. Everyone knows what the fuck you're doing."

Edward chuckled along with him as we headed for the stairs.

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**Thanks for reading!**

**And for the reviews!**

**Sorry I missed a couple days. I'm back on track!**

**Love you,**

**Jami **


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

* * *

"So what is it like being Edward Cullen's girlfriend? Do you get to ride in Limos? Does he just give you whatever you want? I bet he's really hot naked."

"Shut the fuck up! God," I snapped.

The new girl, Audrey, was about two seconds away from finding out what my knuckles tasted like. She'd only worked for Rose for a week, but I felt like it was four days too long. She huffed and went back to wiping down tables, but I wanted her out of my damn hair.

Every day it was the same thing with her groupie crap. I got it—my boyfriend was super famous. He was hot, and up until he found me, a prime piece of bachelor honey. All of that was obvious, but I wasn't into divulging our personal, private information for some stupid girl to diddle off to when she got home.

I mean, seriously. When is that okay?

I stormed into the back room and paced back and forth, shaking my hands to relieve some tension. Rose would be highly pissed if I tried to drown the new girl in a mop bucket, but I was thisss close to doing just that.

I sat down on one of the stools, leaned my head between my knees and took long, deep breaths., taking long, deep breaths. I wasn't sure I'd ever get used to the attention. It wasn't that I hated it—in fact, I was proud of him and his accomplishments. He worked damn hard to be the best man on the ice, and he couldn't help how pretty he was.

He just couldn't help it.

I sighed. Hadn't I been one of those girls? Yes. Yes I had been. I'd done my share of diddling after he'd visit the coffee shop before we met. But that was different—he was my eye candy. Mine. My diddle man. It made me madder than shit thinking about other girls thinking about him that way.

"Hypocrite," I mumbled to myself. "You had your own Edward panty raids, so you have nothing to say."

"Where are you hiding those panties?"

I jumped up, startled, and banged my head against the shelf next to me. Grabbing the top of my head, I turned to find my rather amused boyfriend smiling as he leaned up against the door jamb. My heart was beating like crazy against my ribs, and I pressed my hand against my chest to slow it down.

"What are you doing here? You scared me half to death!"

I didn't mention that it'd been the second time that day that I'd been spooked, but man, a girl could only handle so much. I was a walking basket case.

He pushed away from the door, his arms falling to his sides as he stalked toward me, smiling. I took a small step back, a little shocked at the look in his eyes. He looked like he wanted to get down, but doing it in the middle of the afternoon in the back room of the coffee shop wasn't exactly Edward's style. Me? I was down for it always.

He was a little pickier about things like that.

"I thought you were going to be in meetings all day," I said lamely.

He raised an eyebrow. "I got done early. Where are you going?"

I quickly glanced behind me, and then back at him, shrugging. "Nowhere. What are you doing?"

He boxed me in between him and the shelf and braced himself against it with one hand on either side of my head. "I miss you," he whispered as he leaned down to kiss the skin below my ear. "I wanted to see my girl. Why are you trying to get away from me?"

"I'm not," I said. I let out a little laugh. "You're awful frisky for a Wednesday."

I wasn't complaining—quite the contrary.

He chuckled. "Thank you for taking care of the boys today," he said, still nibbling on my neck. "You're pretty perfect, you know that?"

"Oh," I said. "Well, they're family, right?"

I didn't know what to say. I wasn't exactly the hostess with the mostest—I just ate breakfast with them. If it revved his engine like this, well, I'd take them to eat anywhere they wanted whenever they wanted. This side of my boyfriend was hot as hell.

Shoving his knee between my legs, he pushed them apart and pressed himself against me. "Wrap your legs around me," he mumbled.

I wrapped one leg around his calf, and the other around his hip, lifting myself so I could crawl up on him. His arms went around me and he picked me up before walking toward the door and kicking it closed. My back hit the door and his mouth was on mine, hot and possessive. I twisted my fingers in his hair, pulling at the soft curls at his neck. His tongue licked at my lips, and then he was inside, darting and dancing and doing things that should be illegal.

I started pawing at his shirt, trying to pull it off his back, but it was no use. Dropping me to the ground, he started on his buttons, frantic and hurried as I went to work on mine, ripping it off in haste and then shoving my shorts down my legs.

"Jesus, fuck," he groaned. "Why aren't you wearing panties?"

I laughed and grabbed for his belt. "I was going to do laundry today, but your brothers interrupted my routine. I had to go bare-assed."

"Remind me to buy them new cars," he hissed through his teeth. His hands went to my boobs, and I threw my head back and continued to fumble with his belt.

"Why are you wearing all this crap?"

He pushed my hands away and hurriedly unlaced his belt and got his pants off, leaving them in a sloppy heap on the floor. I was almost out of my mind with need for him. It was the most intense and frantic I'd ever felt, and I wondered just what it was about him surprising me at work with those sex eyes that had me going like a rabid bunny.

Whatever it was, it was amazing—and it hadn't even begun.

"You'll have to be quiet," he said. His hands went from my waist down my hips and around my ass. "You'll have to wait until we get home to scream."

He squeezed my cheeks and then bent at his knees, lifting me and pressing me against the door again. There was pretty much no way in hell I was going to be quiet. Once he was inside of me, all bets were off. God help anyone standing within ear shot.

I'd hear plenty of crap from Rose about it later. She could fire me and I wouldn't give a rats ass.

The only way to describe how things went from there was epic. It was the most romantic, dirty, and satisfying romp we'd ever had. Even with my head bouncing against the door and my back this close to getting splinters from the door, it was amazing.

In my head, it felt like hours, but honestly, a few minutes later, I felt him swell and pulse inside me. It was like an explosion, both of us recklessly racing toward the finish line. He grunted—something I loved to hear when he was ready—and then grunted again before he stilled, still holding me prisoner against the door.

My ears rung, my ass went numb, and my lips pulled into a smile so big my cheeks ached.

"Holy shit," he said finally, breathing heavily. "Are you okay."

I nodded, still smiling. I was freaking A-Okay.

"That was. Wow. "

He lowered me to the ground, plastered another smoldering kiss on my lips, and then bent down to retrieve my clothing from the floor. I pressed myself against the door, still a little wobbly on my legs, and watched as he moved around the room, grabbing up shirts and bras and shorts and pants. Even the most ordinary things showed how remarkable he was.

His body was something else. Every part of him rippled, his thigh muscles twitched with strength, and power and those arms—so big and so full of muscle—held me so gently and strong.

"I love you," I said dreamily. "I still don't know what spurred that on, but I hope it happens again. Maybe we can make it a thing."

He looked up, chucking my shirt at me and winked. "I think we may have scared off the customers. I told you to be quiet."

I laughed. "Yeah, right. You can't do that to me and expect anything less than hysteria to come out of me. You just cleaned my clock!"

He pulled up his pants and shook his head. "I don't like leaving the house without making love to you in the morning. I'll be on the road again and I hate wasting fucking time."

I frowned. "I know. I miss you when you're gone too."

He pulled on his shirt but left it unbuttoned. Grabbing my shoulders, he lowered himself so we were eye to eye. "Come with me. Rose can hire someone else to cover your shifts. I don't want you here while I'm in some hotel room. You should be with me."

My mouth fell open, but I couldn't think of anything to say. I wanted to argue. With everything Rose was going through, leaving would be a huge burden. I liked handling the shop while she was off. I loved that she could count on me. It was basically the first time in my life someone trusted me enough to put me in charge of anything, and I was good at it.

On the other hand, I'd spent many nights crying myself to sleep wishing I was with him on the road after saying goodnight via telephone. Not only that, it would be exciting seeing new cities, experiencing what it was like during playoffs.

More than anything, I wanted to be with him. I wanted to fall asleep with him, and wake up with him. That was the dilemma.

"But, the house. Gordie. Rose. There's too many things going on. I couldn't," I said. It hurt to even say the words, but I had to battle out the contradictory thoughts in my head.

The old me would've jumped at the word go, but I was a little afraid of leaving everything up in the air. I hated the heartache I felt when he was gone, how lonely it was without him, and how I counted the minutes until he came home.

"We've talked about you going to school. This would be the perfect opportunity for you to sort things out and figure out what you want to do. You've said it yourself—you don't want to work here forever. Take a break and be with me."

I ran my hand over my hair and pulled the rubber band out so I could straighten it up before I went back out front. "What about money? I can't just quit my job," I laughed. "You leave tomorrow. That's not enough time for Rose to find someone else to fill my spot. I can't screw her over. She's having a hard time with this baby."

He grabbed my arm and pulled me against him. Lifting my chin with his finger, he smiled down at me. "We can afford it, Bella. You don't have to work at all. I make plenty," he said, grinning wider. "And before you try to argue, we're going to be married. What's mine is yours. Don't get stupid about it. You can go to New York with me, and then we'll see how it goes from there. We could be out of the playoffs this week. Just give it a try."

How could I say no to those eyes? I couldn't. "Okay. I'll call her when I get home. We'll see how it goes."

He hugged me tight, kissing the top of my head and then swung me around. "That's my girl," he said.

I wasn't sure if it was the right thing to do, but it felt right, and that was all that mattered.

* * *

**Thanks for reading!**

**I hope you all have an amazing weekend!**

**I will be stuck working on edits which sucks balls but has to be done!**

**You are all my heroes for all the lovely reviews. Thanks so much for the love xo**

**Love, Jami**


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

* * *

"Heads up. Twatty from across the street is heading this way."

I still didn't like Tanya. Edward could tell me all day long how nice she was, and how buddy buddy he was with her husband. She was a full-on Twat.

"Who?"

"Tawny. Dog watcher chick."

Like he didn't know exactly who I was talking about.

He laughed, shook his head, and swatted me on the ass on his way to the front door. "Nice, Bella."

"I have plenty of words I could use for some chick who lusts after my boyfriend. Twat is the decent version."

He stopped and turned to face me. "Shut up," he said with a laugh. "She isn't lusting after me. She's just a neighbor."

Delusional man. "Oh, she wants the D all right. All up in her."

"Bella," he warned.

Before I got another lecture, I turned around on the couch and faced forward. "Don't get pissed. I didn't say _you_ want to give her to the D. I said _she _wants you to give it to her."

He opened the door and welcomed her in, and I continued watching the cooking show I'd turned on earlier. I wasn't going to like her, and she stopped pushing it because she knew I knew what she wanted.

I kept my ear to the floor, so to speak, while the two of them stood in the entry way and discussed details about Gordie, and I rubbed his ears. I didn't even want her around my dog.

Yeah, my dog. He loved me more than Edward.

We only had an hour before we had to head to the airport, and I was a bit nervous. I'd missed the first two playoff games, even though I'd agreed to quit my job and go with Edward.

Shit went down and I couldn't leave Rosalie to deal with work stuff. She'd gotten really sick and had to be put on bed rest. It was the scariest thing that had ever happened to me when she passed out at work. Having to call Emmett and tell him an ambulance took her away just about broke my whole heart.

She was going to be fine—at least she assured me she would. But the doctors labelled her pregnancy high-risk. It was terrifying.

But she was stable, and swore she had it under control, so I was officially going on the road with Edward.

But only with the caveat that if things were sideways in any way, I would come back to help.

I heard the door click and knew Tawny was gone. I leaned down and whispered into Gordie's neck. "Bite her, boy. Chase that tramp right off while mama is gone. Okay?"

"Don't turn my dog into an asshole, Bella," Edward said before dropping down on the cushion next to me. "He's a lover, not a biter."

I huffed. "First of all, he's my dog. Didn't we explain this the other night? He told you he traded up. His mama doesn't leave him all the time. And I give him bacon."

He pinched my side. "You both suck."

I rubbed Gordie's ears a little harder. My good boy.

"Are we all packed and ready to go? Emmett said he's on his way."

He groaned and stretched his arms up over his head. "Yeah, I'm ready to go. Have you talked to my sister? Is she still meeting us in Detroit?"

"Yup," I said. "She said Jasper is going to be able to make it after all. So you'll have a trio rooting for you."

"Shit, does that mean his job fell through? He's going to be bummed."

"She didn't say, but I hope not."

Since Edward's brother's visit weeks before, Jasper and I had become best buds. It was inevitable. We were both a little nuts. He got me, and I totally got him.

He was trying to get on at a University in Texas as a professor, which at first, I thought was a joke. I mean, he was the least serious person I'd ever met. And I assumed as a professor, he'd have to act like an adult and I couldn't see it.

Plus, he'd have to wear clothes, and that seemed to be something he wasn't fond of either.

But Jasper was a braniac in disguise. All kinds of degrees and awards, all at the tender age of 28. He worked at a local community college in Chicago presently, but was looking for something a little more professor-y down there in Texas.

I kind of wished he would move to Washington to be closer to us. I liked the fucker.

"I guess I should go pee and stuff before we go. Keep your eye out for Emmett, will ya?"

*****Slapshot*****

"Wow," I mused as I checked out the lobby of the hotel. "They don't mess around, do they? This place is pretty swanky."

Edward looked around and then frowned. "It's not that great. Typical Hyatt, or whatever this is. Hilton, maybe?"

It was nice. Maybe he was used to it, but I wasn't. The only other time I'd stayed in a half decent hotel was with him when we visited his parents, and that had been a smaller motel chain.

"It has elevators, Edward. Elevators. I've never been in a hotel over two floors. And never one with a freaking bar!"

He looked at me like I had two heads. "No shit?"

"No shit. Not all of us are superstars, honey-pie. I was raised by Renee Dwyer. We stayed at low budget motels when we'd stay in a motel at all. I've never been on a vacation, other than the trip to Chicago. And this, I guess."

His face softened. "We're going on a fucking trip as soon as this season is over. Wherever you want to go. And we'll stay in a badass hotel."

I loved the sound of that. But, I could think of better things. "This is a badass hotel. I don't want to go anywhere but home once you win your big ol' trophy. I want to stay home, where you are, and eat mac and cheese and cuddle. And I want to be there for Rose. We'll take a trip some other time. Okay?"

He brushed his knuckles over my cheek and leaned in to kiss my forehead. "You surprise me every day, Bella."

I didn't know what that meant, but it was likely my mouth that surprised him. But I was serious. Even though I hadn't done a lot of cool things, or been cool places, I'd moved around a whole lot. Being grounded, and rooted with him in his pretty little house with our big snuggle dog was about as perfect as life could get.

A woman in a sleek black suit, and a curly bob waved us over to her where she stood near the check in counter. My back tensed, and Edward squeezed my hand.

"That's Carmen. She's got our room key. You'll like her. Come on."

He'd developed this innate ability to read my reactions. Of course I wanted to punch this wavy broad in the throat for eyeballing my guy. But, I was learning to calm myself down before acting. He didn't want anyone else—I felt that all the way down to my toes. He made it clear. I knew it.

Did not mean I liked sharing his pretty with all those slutty eyes.

As we got closer, I noticed how friendly she looked up close. From way back, she seemed all stuffy and bitchy. That's what I got for being so judgy. I didn't even want to know what she thought of me at first glance in my sunflower leggings and Edward's black hoodie.

I probably looked like some hobo he picked up on the way to the hotel.

"Cullen! How's it going?"

He dropped his bag, and took her hand to shake. "Good Carmen. This is Bella. Bella, this is Carmen. She's our travel coordinator."

"It's so good to meet you, Bella. I'm glad you decided to join him on the road. You're going to have a blast."

See? Super nice.

"Thanks. I'm glad too."

She smiled and her nose wrinkled and her eyes crinkled. Super. Nice.

"So, since this is your first trip, I gave you two the room on the floor with the best view. I mean, there isn't anything to really look at out here, but at least you aren't looking out at a wall. I also have a night cap set up, some appetizers, sparkling water, fruits, and a little dessert."

She cocked her hip and looked up at Edward. "I'd do champagne, you know, but I'd get busted. So I did my best."

She leaned in and smiled at me. "Congrats on your engagement! I'm excited for you both. Edward is one of my favorite players. He's never an asshole, and never complains. Makes my job easy. Know what I mean."

I sort of loved Carmen, and wished all the women he had to deal with were as genuine and normal as she was.

"Thanks. I'm excited too."

She bounced on her toes, pulled an envelope out of her clipboard and handed it to Edward. "Okay, the team is on the top three floors. You guys are room 442—it's a suite. That way Bella has a place to hang out and chill until it's time to go to the arena." She turned her attention back to me. "And if you need anything, Bella, you can give me a call. My card is in the packet. You can always call the desk, but I work faster, and better. Call me. Got it?"

I gave her a little salute. "Got it."

"Great! Have a great night. And good luck tomorrow, Cullen."

She wiggled her fingers at us, smiled, and then pushed at her little speaker in her ear and took a call. "Mendoza. What do you need?"

Edward pulled on my hand and I followed behind him while he maneuvered through the lobby toward the elevators. There were a lot of people milling around, but no one seemed to recognize him or notice. I guess that was a good thing. I had a feeling he got swarmed by fans and hoochies whenever he was out in public, but then again, I was an idiot. What did I know?

The room was as nice as I expected it to be. But not extravagant. "So, you stay in rooms like this every time you're gone?"

He stacked our luggage up in the corner and fell on the bed with a huff. "Usually. Sometimes they're better. Sometimes worse. This is average. Is it okay?"

I dug around in the bathroom, checked out all the free toiletries, and then went to the sitting area to check out the food.

Carmen hooked us up.

"Uh, yeah. It's great. Is the bed comfy?"

He chuckled. "It'd be more comfy if you were over here in it with me."

I smiled to myself. My horny boyfriend was so cute. "You're not even going to have a snack?"

"That's what I'm sayin'. I'm waiting for you to get over here, so I can have a _snack."_

Well then. I hoped those crispy little delicious looking won tons held up. I'd have to try those later.

* * *

**Thanks for reading! New adventure for our Bella ahead! **

**Love,**

**Jami **


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

* * *

Edward spent the morning trying to explain the playoff schedule to me. It was all about qualifiers, divisions, and who the hell knew what else.

I tried to grasp the details, but I was barely getting the hang of hockey itself. I'd just have to wing it and follow where he told me to follow. It was a little too confusing, honestly.

We had a quick breakfast he ordered from room service before he had to head downstairs for a team meeting. I showered and got dressed while he was gone, and then called Rosalie to check on her and the baby before his brother and sister arrived and I wouldn't have time.

"How was the trip?"

I rolled onto my back on the super cushy sofa and smiled into the phone. "It was good. How are you doing?"

She groaned. She groaned a lot lately. "I'm fine. I have crick in my neck, and Emmett's at the store. He offered to go sign for the deliveries today. Ben called in sick."

I frowned. That little shithead. Out of all the employees, I was counting on him being the most responsible while I was gone. I didn't want Rose to worry about that crap while she was baking baby Mac—my little nickname for her fetus.

"I hope he's dying. If he called in for a hangover or sniffles, I will crush his nuts when I get back."

She chuckled. "How do I already miss you?"

"You love me so much?"

She sighed and I heard her shuffle around in bed. She was so not a good patient. She liked controlling things. Not being able to be at the bakery was killing her. She loved that place. It was her first baby, and she had worked hard for it.

"I do love you. So, tell me about the hotel. Where are you staying? Are you getting the star treatment?"

I looked around the room. "It's nice. Really nice. And the chick who is in charge of all the reservations and whatever, she gave us a good room and even set up food and stuff. She was super nice."

"I'm so happy for you," she said. "Have a lot of fun and tell me all about it when you get home."

"I will. Please take care of yourself, okay? I feel so bad for leaving you."

"Don't do that," she snapped. "I mean it, Bella. You're not responsible for me. You have to enjoy yourself and not worry about anything else. Okay? I am more than capable of taking care of myself. I'm pregnant, not terminal. Plus, I have Emmett, and he's been really good at helping out."

I would worry. That was a given. I just cared about her so much. She was like the mom I never had, and the big sister I'd always wanted all wrapped up in a big bundle of badass. I'd never met anyone like her, and I was so blessed she became who she was to me. My family.

"I promise. I will have the best time ever. I'll bring you a surprise. Okay?"

"Ha!" She laughed and then I heard Emmett's voice in the background. "Baby daddy's home. Go before he finds out I'm talking to you. He'll talk your ear off, and you need to get cute for the game."

I looked down at my clothes and smiled. I already looked cute. "See you when I get back. Love you bunches, fatty."

"I'm gonna…"

I didn't let her finish. I had to get one last smart-ass remark in. She'd expect it.

Since the game in Chicago, I wore the jersey Edward's mom gave me all the time. I slept in it when he was away, I wore it to the grocery store. Everywhere. But I'd upgraded since then to a new jersey for the games, thanks to his sister.

It was a brand spanking new Twilight jersey, with his number on the front and back, and 'Cullen's Girl' across my shoulder blades. It was spectacular and I couldn't wait to wear it. Paired with my best pair of jeans, my new purple and white kicks—Twilight colors—I was officially a hot-shit, over the top, loyal to the end, team girlfriend.

Or _fiancé._ I was a freaking fiancé.

Now, the team girlfriends and wives, well, they hadn't warmed up to me. Not really. I'd only met a few, and hadn't spent a lot of time with them, but they weren't exactly warm. They were kind of bitchy, stuck up, and overall the unfriendliest bunch of broads I'd ever met.

Mind you, I didn't exactly exude the _be my best friend vibe_. Mostly because I didn't really care. But I tried and had done so because I thought it would be good for Edward.

And you know what? When we talked about it, he basically said the same. They were sort of bitchy.

Even Sam's wife, Emily was a little on the cold side. And I'd heard raving reviews about her. Maybe it was because the other women were there. I wasn't sure. But I wasn't kissing anyone's ass.

And he didn't want me to. He said fuck them.

They were probably jealous because my man was way hotter than theirs.

As I pondered my super-hot fiancé, my phone chimed, and I looked down to see who was calling. It was Alice.

"Yo. Are you guys here?"

"We're on our way. Our driver decided the scenic route was the best way to get from the airport to the hotel, so we're somewhere between the boonies and the hotel. Maybe twenty minutes tops before we get there. Is Edward still there, or has he already headed to the arena?"

Oh man. One thing I'd learned about Alice was she was very much like her brother. Anal. She was a stickler for time. A hater of traffic. She was probably hyperventilating in that poor guys car.

"You have plenty of time. They're having their team meeting and he said it wouldn't last long. He doesn't have to be at the arena until two, so we have plenty of time to hang out before he goes."

"Thank God. I am seriously one-starring this jackass for this. I'll see you when we get there."

Poor dude.

"See ya soon," I said. "I'll meet you downstairs. Call when you get here."

I hung up and moseyed over to the table to nosh on some of the fruit left over from breakfast. I wasn't even very hungry. I was just bored and a little nervous. I couldn't put my finger on why I was so nervous-it was all overwhelming being on the road.

The door clicked open and I peeked around the corner and saw Edward coming through the door. He looked so damn fine in his basketball shorts and white t-shirt. My favorite t-shirt. The one I could pretty much blame on me falling in love with him.

"That was fast. Are you all done?"

He went straight for the bedroom and I heard him kicking off his shoes. Seemed like he was in a bit of a mood.

"What's wrong?"

He looked tired. It had to take a toll—all the travelling, the playing, the Bella. All of it was a lot. I could see the exhaustion on him. Especially the past few weeks.

"I'm just thinking about the game. Our coach is a fucking dick. I'm glad my contract is done next season because I'm fucking out."

My eyebrows hit my hairline. Excuse me?

"Wait—what does that mean?"

He ran his fingers through his hair, rough enough to make it stand on end. "It means I play one more season with Twilight, and then I'm going somewhere else. Aro's bullshit is out of control. And this new goal tender he brought on this year is a fucking psycho. He puts him in tonight, and we're fucked."

I shook my head and moved toward him. I usually loved when he was all huffy and bad tempered. It meant hot, dirty, monkey sex. But that wasn't happening—thanks to his siblings and the big game in a few hours.

"So what would you do? You'd move away? Would another team hire you?"

He looked up at me like I had snakes coming out of my ears. "I have no less than ten teams jerking me off to get me to play for them. I can write my own ride. Aro knows it, doesn't seem to care. There's something wrong with that guy."

I sat down next to him and patted his thigh. "Not the enemy here. I am trying to ask questions because I don't know what the hell you're thinking about. You're really upset. I don't like to see you this way."

He leaned his forehead against mine. "I'm not leaving you, if that's what you're thinking."

Well, I was thinking that. I mean, if he left Twilight, that meant he was leaving Washington. I was in Washington, which mean, yes, in fact, he was leaving me.

"You're marrying me, Bella. Wherever we are, we're there together. I'm not making any decisions without talking about it first. I'm just pissed, and sick of his crap."

Oh yeah. The marriage. I had almost forgotten we were going to get married. "I'll do whatever you want. Honest, Edward. I can live anywhere. I have lived anywhere. And everywhere. Wherever you go, I'm coming too. I was just surprised is all."

He kissed the tip of my nose. "I'm going to take a shower. Are my brother and sister here yet?"

I shook my head. "They're almost here. Go get your shower. You want me to come with? Give you a happy ending to take off the edge?"

He laughed and kissed me on the lips. "I do, but I'm not going to let you. You look amazing. Beautiful. I don't want to mess you up. I'll take a rain check."

I was kind of glad for that. I would take one for the team, for sure. Every time for him. But I had worked on my hair and it had come out really good. It would suck to have to do that all over again.

"Rain check it is. Go on. I'll wait for your family."

He got up, stretched his arms over his head and groaned. "There is no one in the world I would ever want by my side, Bella. You know that?"

I pinched his perfect bubble butt through those thin shorts. "No one else would put up with you."

* * *

**Hi all! **

**Sorry it's been a few days. But hope you like it**

**Love, Jami**


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28**

* * *

We won.

The game had been nuts. Edward ended up with six penalties—two of them major, and one ending with what Jasper said was likely going to end up with a fine.

He was brutal. You could feel the ugly energy pulsing off him. But, even with all the time-outs he got, or whatever the fuck they were called, he managed to score more points than anyone else. He always did.

And I couldn't have been more proud.

Alice, Jasper, and I waited for him at the hotel afterward. His request. I wasn't surprised, because I was sure he had business to deal with, but Jasper was pissed he didn't want us to wait around.

"Are you guys fighting already? What'd you do?"

I glared at Jasper across the room and took another sip of the wine Alice ordered from room service. "No, we're not fighting. I even tried to give him a blowy before you got here to cheer him up. It's his coach. He hates him."

Alice cringed and made some sort of disgusted sound and Jasper laughed. "Well, I guess, good for you. Glad he has a gal who will pitch in when needed."

"Shut up, Jas," Alice snapped. "So what's the deal with the coach? I've never heard him complain before."

Jasper sat back and crossed his leg over his knee. "He's mentioned a few things lately. I know Aro is a real arrogant prick, but I didn't think it'd gotten this bad."

"He said he wants to leave Twilight."

Alice reached for the wine bottle and topped her glass off. "I know he wants to move closer to my parents. He's been saying that for a couple years. First, when he was playing for San Jose, and then when he was home for Thanksgiving. I don't know if it's because he's sick of Aro, or if he's homesick."

"Little bitch," Jasper mumbled.

"So he wants to move to Chicago?" I asked.

"I know he does. He's always wanted to play for the Chicago Winds. Since he was a kid. It was his dream."

I looked over my glass at Alice and frowned. "I didn't know that. I guess I didn't know there was a particular team he wanted. I thought, I don't know. I don't know anything, apparently."

She scooted forward and her brow furrowed. "Would you move with him? I know you're from Washington. Will it be hard to move?"

I laughed. "I was born in Washington, but I'm not from anywhere. I haven't talked to my dad in almost two years, and my mom is currently in Florida. But I don't know how long that will last. I have Rose and Emmett—my boss slash best friend and her husband, but that's all. I will go wherever he wants to go. I can give up just about anything but him."

She smiled and sighed. "Thank God."

"He should have signed with Chicago in the first place. He was just being stubborn," Jasper said. "He's the best center in the league. He has had his pick from day one. I don't know why he went with Washington."

"I do," Alice said. "He wanted to be a hot shot for Dad. He wouldn't have had the same chance to prove himself in Chicago. They already had so many superstars. He wanted his own show. He wants Chicago, but he wants it his way."

"Makes sense," Jasper said. "So, Bella Swan in Chicago. That sounds fun."

I thought it sounded fun, too. And I'd been serious when I told them I wasn't from anywhere. Which made settling in somewhere like Chicago sound wonderful.

I heard the door and jumped off the couch and ran toward it, and Edward. He looked like shit, and it made my heart hurt. I threw myself at him, and thankfully he still had enough energy to catch me.

"Are you all right?"

"Never better. I'm sorry."

I hugged him around the neck as hard as I could. "Don't. You have nothing to be sorry for. I'm here. Vent. Bitch. Whatever. We're in this together and I promise even when I don't understand, I'll listen."

"I love you." He breathed into my neck and then let me down. "Let's get fucked up. Is my brother here?"

"Right here, ya pussy. Nice way to fuck up that game."

He chuckled and it was so good to see the lightness back in his eyes. "We won didn't we?"

Jasper scoffed from the other side of the room. "Yeah, because the other guys pulled your weight."

Edward twirled a piece of my hair around his finger and looked over at his brother. "Texas didn't want you I heard."

"Okay," I said, putting my hand on his chest. "Don't be a jerk. Let's get some beers. I brought the UNO. We can play drunk UNO. Be a good boy."

Alice walked into the hallway and put both hands on her hips. "I did not fly into Detroit of all gross places to put up with you being a grumpy ass. Put your shit away, get settled in, and me and Bella will go find some drinks. There's a convenience store down the street. We drove past it on the way here. It's walking distance."

"Grab a bottle of tequila. The good shit," Jasper said. He pulled out his wallet and walked over and handed her a few bills. "Get whatever else you want, too. Oh, and some fire cheese puffs for Bella."

"Thanks, Jasper." I winked at him and then squeezed Edward's hand. "Any special requests?"

He rubbed his hands over his face and shook his head. "Nah. Whatever is fine. I just need a drink."

God. He was so freaking stressed out. I hated it. Drinking during playoffs? Getting fucked up? Lord. My Edward was a basket case. But if that's what he wanted and needed, I was on board.

"You got it! Let me put my shoes back on, Alice, and then we can go."

We were quiet as we walked down the street toward the store she'd seen, and I hoped like hell there was an actual store because it was dark and a little sketchy, to be honest.

She was uncharacteristically quiet. One thing I'd learned since meeting Alice was that she had a lot of energy. She seemed lost in her own thoughts.

"Is everything okay?" I asked.

She swung her head my way and smiled. "Totally. Sorry. I was just thinking."

Okay. I figured, but she was being weird.

"Care to share? I'm a good listener."

She laughed on a breath and pulled as she stopped walking. "I'm just going to put this out there. Don't break his heart, okay?"

My eyes widened. "What?"

She let go of my arm and shoved her hands in the pockets of her jacket. "We have a special bond, me and Edward. We have since we were little. He always looked after me, you know? I sort of feel like I have to look after him, and he's being weird."

Okay, I agreed, but he'd explained it all to me about the coach. I wasn't sure what I could do about that.

"O-Kay," I said slowly. "Why the hell would I do that? And why the hell do you think I would? Did he say something? Because that is so not going to happen. If anything, it would be the other way around. I'm madly in love with your brother, Alice."

She smiled. "Good to know. I guess I was worried because he said he asked you to travel and you turned him down. I get it—it's a lot of pressure. Going on the road all the time. I think he worries you aren't happy."

Oh brother. This family was so intense. Honestly it was a little hard to keep up.

"Did he explain why I said I didn't want to go? I mean, I'm here now. I'm going to be with him for the foreseeable future. My boss, slash best friend is having a high-risk pregnancy. I didn't want to leave her in a lurch when she needed me. I thought he understood. I'll talk to him. But to put your mind at ease, I want to be with him. Sometimes other things come up, though."

She ducked her head and it felt like there was more she wanted to say, but when she looked back up at me, she'd pinned a smile on her face—a fake one, I could tell—and nodded down the street.

"We better get that booze. I'm just in a weird mood. But I'm glad to know you're willing to take a chance on going on the road. It means a lot to him."

We finished our walk, bought the alcohol, and headed back to the hotel. But the whole time, I had a pit in my stomach wondering where the fuck that conversation came from.

And a little piece of me wondered if it had to do with the fact that Alice was friends with his bitch of an ex.

Something I still had not come to terms with. Or understood. Alice was so different than Victoria. But something was up her butt and I didn't like it.

*****Slapshot*****

It only took two hours before all of us were way further than tipsy, and Jasper broke down.

"Maria's getting married."

Okay, so I had no idea who Maria was. But good for her.

"That whore!" Alice wailed. "I knew she was using you. Didn't I say she was using you!"

"She wasn't using me, Alice. She wasn't."

Alice scoffed and pointed at Edward. "Back me up. She was and you know it."

Edward scratched his chin and looked at the ceiling. He was wasted, and it was so funny because I had never seen him drunk before. He told me he didn't really drink much at all, and especially not during the season. A beer here and there was about it.

But he was shit-faced, and it was hilarious. He was the most thoughtful and serious freaking drunk I'd ever met.

"I don't know if I'd call it using him. She was a con artist. She conned him."

"Shut the fuck up, man. You don't know what you're talking about."

Edward rubbed at his beard some more, his lips pursed. "She told you she was being stalked, wound you up enough to beat the fuck out of the guy, got you arrested, and then it came out that she owed the guy money for drugs. I'd call that a con. Maybe a hoodwink."

"Hoodwink!" I cried. "I fucking love that word. Hood. Winked."

His head was in my lap and he looked up at me and gave me a dopey smile. "Say it again."

"Hoodwinked!"

"Shut up!"

I pinched my lips together to stop myself from smiling when I saw the look on Jasper's face. He was so pissed, and I didn't want him to think I was laughing at him.

I just smiled a lot when I was drunk.

"She told you she owned the ranch she was working on—which she didn't. She shoveled shit. She told you she was part of a non-profit improving the landscape of western Texas, when in fact, she was doing community service. Picking up trash on the road sides. She's a liar and a user and you have wasted so many years and your life on her."

"I love her," Jasper lamented.

Oh God. I felt horrible. I had no idea he was actually in love with someone. I had wondered, especially after getting to know him, how he was still single. He was freaking hot, not as hot as Edward, but hot. He had a great personality. You couldn't help but love the guy. Plus, he was smart, and responsible, and loved his family.

He was a catch.

So this was all fascinating. I hadn't even heard the name Maria uttered by any of them before.

"Who is she marrying? Let me guess? Some rich old man?"

He narrowed his eyes at Alice and if looks could kill.

"I have no idea. She wouldn't tell me. She told me it was over, and to move on."

"Stupid bitch," Edward muttered. "It's her loss. I'm sorry, bro. I didn't know."

Jasper scoffed. "I was ready to give up everything to move down there to be with her. Fuck women. I'm done."

"Don't give up!" I shouted. "Nobody likes a quitter."

Everyone laughed. I don't know why. I was just being helpful.

"If only there were two of you, Bella. My brother found a good one. Doesn't care about his money, his fame, none of it."

I ruffled Edward's hair. Handsome ass. "I don't care that he has more money than I do. He's so damn sexy, I would keep him even if he was super poor."

Edward reached up and grabbed me around the waist and lifted me up and over so I was on top of him and kissed me hard. "I love you, baby."

"Can you two not rub it in? Jesus," Jasper whined.

"Can you not rub it out—seriously. Let's keep the PDA PG while the little sister is here, pretty please."

Edward cupped my ass and I moaned. It was instinct. Try having the hottest man on the planet grope you. It's not easy controlling your hormones.

Plus, I'd put away a few malt liquor beverages. I was feeling frisky.

"You'll find someone, bro," Edward said and moved sideways and brought my back to his front. "Maria was never who you needed. You were obsessed with her because she made you that way with her games. All this time, your eyes were closed to who is out there."

"Oh," I said. "That's good, honey. You're smart."

He tapped on the side of his head and I snorted. "Corny, too."

I turned back to look at Jasper and poor dude looked miserable. "I think I should find you a girl. I'm a good judge of character. I read people like a book."

"Find me a man first," Alice said. "I have depleted every online dating app there is, and I only attract perverts and losers. The last date I had was three months ago. Jasper can find someone on his own."

"I know someone!" Then I groaned. "Ugh. Shit. He lives in Seattle. I can't help you. You're too far."

I was starting to slur and that made me laugh. "I need sleep. I'm too tired to talk. My tongue is heavy."

I turned my head to see if Edward wanted to go to sleep, and found him sound asleep.

"My man fell asleep. We're so drunk."

"I'm gonna hit the bar," Jasper announced. "Want me to walk you to the room, Ali, or you gonna stay here?"

She picked up her purse and then started grabbing bottles off the table. "I'm going to the bar too. It's only midnight."

She tossed the bottles in the trash and Jasper fiddled around with his phone. I just snuggled closer to Edward and smiled at them. I loved having them around. It was so cool having a family to do stupid things with, like drink and play UNO in a hotel room in Detroit.

I would have never imagined having such a fun and normal time with other people.

Alice leaned down and kissed the top of my head and smiled at her brother. "I'll call in the morning and we'll all meet for breakfast before we take off. Okay?"

"Okay."

The weirdness between us had fizzled as the night wore on, but I had a feeling the booze had everything to do with it. Which meant it was still there, lurking around waiting to spew out on me eventually.

Once they were gone, I turned over and poked Edward in the belly. My head was starting to really feel light and woozy and I wanted to get in that big ass bed before I fell asleep. I didn't want to sleep all cramped up on the sofa when we had the comfy bed in the bedroom.

"Sleepy boy. Wake up. I can't carry you."

"Are they gone," he mumbled.

"Yeah. They're gone. You fell asleep in like, a minute."

I got off the couch and held my hand out to him. "Come on. Let's go to bed."

I led him to the room, and we climbed in bed. I could tell he was tired, and sore, and sort of drunk. He'd had a hell of a few days, and I wished more than anything I could take it all away.

I laid there and watched him for quite a while. He'd fallen asleep easily. For that, I was glad. I couldn't sleep, though. His stress was weighing on me. He was usually so easy going. The one to tell me not to trip out—it'd all be okay.

There was a feeling bubbling up, one I couldn't describe entirely. Fear. Worry. Sadness.

The one thing keeping me grounded was sleeping soundly next to me. He wouldn't let us fall. Whatever was going on in his head would work out. I just knew it.

I finally dozed off, snuggled into Edward's chest.

* * *

**Thanks for reading!**

**So who is feeling a Jasper spin off? I sorta feel it. The poor dude makes me all jumbly for his ass. I think he needs a luva.**

**So! More fun and shenanigans with these crazy kids coming up!**

**Love,**

**Jami!**


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29**

* * *

The next leg of our playoff adventure tour was St. Louis, Missouri. It was another city I'd never been to, but just as it had been in Detroit, we weren't there long enough to see anything other than the hotel and the arena.

I'd wanted to talk to Edward about the mood he'd been in the night in Detroit, but we hadn't had any time. We got up, rushed to have breakfast with Jasper and Alice, and then we were packed up and on our way to the airport and off to Missouri.

The next six days were the same. Edward was moody, we were always rushing, and by the time we got to Boston, I was ready to rip my hair out by the handful.

The whole travelling with my man was not working out. It was horrible, and I wanted to go home so bad I wanted to cry. The thought of leaving him made me sick, but I couldn't handle the tension, the lack of sleep, and the constant whirlwind of travel.

I sucked at being a hockey girlfriend. Failed so hard I was ashamed of myself.

But I knew if we kept going the way we were, one of us was going to snap and I wasn't willing to risk fighting with him over something I didn't even understand.

So I was going home.

I'd left the game earlier, grabbed a taxi, and headed back to the hotel so I had time to psych myself up enough to tell him. I showered, changed into my jammies, and set his clean clothes out so he would be able to relax once he got back.

I ordered food from room service—bacon cheeseburgers, steak fries and chicken noodle soup, along with some gooey chocolate cake to really butter him up, and waited for him to return.

I sat there for three and a half hours.

His return from games fluctuated, so I hadn't worried the first couple hours. He had things to do, and as he'd told me several times, he was on team time, so it wasn't really up to him.

But three and a half hours? I was both pissed and worried.

I'd already eaten my meal, and part of us. The chocolate cake was tempting, but I was too upset to even dive into it.

I called his phone, hoping like hell it wouldn't trigger him into a snit, and waited for him to answer. It went to voicemail after a few rings, and it made me worry more.

**Where are you? Worried. – B**

I sat there tapping my foot on the coffee table in front of the sofa, gripping my phone so hard my hand cramped. Finally after a few minutes (six, if we're counting) he answered.

**OMW. Ten minutes tops. – E**

I was exhausted and I hoped he was truly on his fucking way. I still had to sort out the whole going home situation after I talked to him. And it was late as hell.

I went into the bedroom and climbed in bed. Once my head hit the pillow, tears pricked at my eyes. It was going to suck not cuddling up to him every night. That was my favorite part of being with him on this adventure. Every night, falling asleep tucked up against his chest, and waking up to his sweet eyes and tore up hair.

I was so conflicted.

Ten minutes later, I heard the door, and then his footsteps as he walked through the hotel suite. I sat up, so I could gage his expression when he walked in.

"Hey beautiful," he said from the doorway.

"Hey."

He dropped his bag and reached behind him to pull his shirt off his back. "Sorry it's so late. You didn't have to wait up."

Uh, what?

"Yeah, I did. I was worried. Where were you?"

He groaned and climbed over the bed and flopped down next to me and pulled me against him. "I had some press shit. I got your text that you left the game early. Are you feeling okay?"

I sighed. "Sort of. I want to talk though."

His arms tensed. "What's wrong?"

I twisted out of his arms and turned to face him. "I think I should go home."

His face went blank for several seconds and then he chuckled and pulled me into his lap. "Nah. Bad idea. You're not leaving."

"Edward," I sort of whined. "It's weird—or has been weird. I feel like you're keeping something from me. Something is wrong and I don't know what it is. I'm so tired."

"You're not leaving. I can't do this without you, Bella."

I rolled my eyes. "Yes you can. You've been doing it for years without me. You'll be fine. We agreed to give this a try, and it's not working. So I want to go home."

He gave his head a little shake and lowered us to the mattress. He climbed on top of me and pinned my hands to the bed. "This is working. I'm being a dick. Too much on my mind. The playoffs are just intense. A lot rides on this. A lot of people are counting on our win. So that's weighing on me. I'm always a moody asshole during playoffs."

I huffed. "You don't say."

"Mm hm. But I want you here. Don't think for one second I don't. I do. I need you to be here."

There was more to it, and I wasn't giving him a pass on it. Not when things were this discombobulated and fucked up between us. He could deflect all he wanted. That wasn't how I rolled.

"I need to be with you, too. Don't get me wrong. I literally just had the thought that I was going to die every night without you sweating all over me. But I'm just going to say it. You've been a dick. A weird one and I don't like it. I don't want to see you like this. If you won't talk to me about it, I'm bouncing the fuck out of here."

He rolled off me and rubbed his eyes with his fists. "I told you I'm having problems with the team. The coach mostly. The manager is a fucking asshole, too."

"Yes," I told him. "You've told me. That can't be what all of this is about. Even Alice said you were being weird. She hasn't seen you this way before, so what gives?"

"Give me a date," he said.

"A date?"

He peeked over at me. "Yeah. A date. When can I marry you?"

Well, wasn't expecting that at all. "I don't know. We haven't talked about it."

"Exactly."

What? Was he worried about getting married? With all the crap going on? He was ridiculous.

"We sort of haven't had a lot of time. I figured we'd talk about that stuff once the playoffs were over and stuff."

He switched positions and propped himself up on his elbow and stared at me. I felt like this, too, was a fucking deflection. I was going to wring his neck.

"I'm trying to be serious here, dude. You want a date? Tomorrow. September fifteenth. Christmas Day. I give two shits when it happens, as long as it does."

"Tomorrow?" He raised his eyebrow and I wanted to punch him again.

"Not literally. But you get what I mean. I'm not having second thoughts or whatever. You want the honest truth? I have zero fucking idea what to do about it. You threw it out there, and I think I'm still in shock. It's what I've always wanted—to get married, have a family, the whole kitten caboodle. But the semantics freaks me out a little. What do I do? I don't know how to do the bride shit. My mom never involved me in her marriage decisions. You'd think I'd know what to do, but I don't. Go to Vegas? That's what she always did."

"We're not going to Vegas."

I groaned. "Okay. I don't care."

Whew. This fight wasn't as fun as our usual little tiffs. And I didn't see hot humping coming out of this one, either.

This was like, grown up shit.

"Would you want to live in Chicago? Or, Illinois? Near Chicago?"

"I don't know," I said quietly. "You're going to switch to the Chicago team? Is that what you're thinking?"

"I am," he said. "But only if we make that decision together."

I closed my eyes and then turned to mirror his pose so I could look at him better. When I opened my eyes, his had turned soft and thoughtful, and finally, I could see how much he was bottling up. If the dude could just talk to me, this wouldn't have been so confusing.

"I'll go wherever you go, Edward. Being near your family won't suck, either."

"What about your family?"

"Rose and Emmett. That's my family. And you. And the rest of your crazy fam. I can visit Rose and Emmett. I would miss them, and fuck… the baby. This is about us, though. What's best for our future, right? I feel like I could be happy with that decision. I'm happy if you're happy."

"You make me happy. I've been thinking it's selfish to uproot you, make you follow me and leave everything behind. I should suck it up and make Twilight work so you don't have to go through all that shit."

I laughed. "Come on. You aren't making me do anything. Plus, Jasper said they were offering big bucks in Chicago. Maybe I want my rich husband to buy me a mansion and a Porsche."

He moved my hair off my face and leaned in to kiss me. "I'll buy you anything you want."

I pulled his bottom lip into my mouth and sucked hard. Stupid man. Why he had to overthink everything I would never know.

Didn't I do enough of that for both of us?

"You don't have to buy me anything. All I need is your smile, your arms, and your giant dick. I'm solid."

He barked out a laugh and rolled me onto his chest. "Giant, huh?"

I pinched his nipple and then laid my head against his chest and hugged him tight. "It's huge. I've been known to refer to it as being as big as an elephant. It's hella impressive. World record sized dick."

His chest rumbled under my ear. "Shut up, Bella." He sighed, ran his hand over my back and kissed the top of my head. "We're heading to San Jose tomorrow. When we get there, we'll call my mom and tell her you need help figuring out what to do for a wedding. She'll know."

"She's going to love this, isn't she?"

He laughed softly. "Love isn't a big enough word."

"I love you bigger than the word love."

"Yeah," he said. "I know. And I love you more."

* * *

**Thanks for reading!**

**And thanks so much for the lovely reviews. Y'all make me so happy I decided to pull this out of the vault and give it the send away it deserved.**

**More fun is coming! We have that wedding to plan and Bella is a wedding planning tornado!**

**Have an amazing Saturday!**

**Love,  
Jami **


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30**

* * *

After talking to Edward, I decided to stay on the playoff haul. I still felt guilty about leaving Rosalie when she was sick, but she'd promised she was doing so much better, and she'd found two more people to work the morning shifts and they were working out good.

I hoped that was true. I also knew that if she was overexerting herself, Emmett would tell me the truth. He wouldn't think twice to ask me to come back. He may have been Edward's biggest fan, but he was a much bigger fan of Rosalie.

And the baby.

So she made me promise to stay with Edward and live it up.

I was living it up. But it wasn't as glamorous as everyone thought it was. It was a lot of travel, which got old real fast, and a lot of food on the go which was also getting old. One thing that wasn't old, was falling asleep in Edward's arms every single night.

That, I'd gotten used to and was becoming addicted to all the same.

Maybe I'd get used to it eventually, but I was worn out. It was a lot of action for a girl who called working at the animal shelter once a week a hot date. I missed our bed, our dog, and our nights in front of the TV. I knew once it was all over, I would never take any of that shit for granted again.

Our next destination was Chicago, which was pretty much perfect. Esme was so freaking excited, you'd think he was coming back from the moon.

But with this visit, there would be a detour in the playoff tour for me.

I was staying with his family for a week after the game, and catching up with him afterward.

Now, that would make most women nervous. But not me. I couldn't wait to hang out with Esme and wring every ounce of motherly goodness and advice out of her. All I'd ever heard from my mother was how invasive and nasty mother-in-law's could be.

Joke was on her.

I scored big time.

I loved Esme. To death. She understood me. A lot like Rosalie did, but Esme was way more patient with my shit than Rose was. I felt like a kid, like I could trust her and she'd guide me, but also like a woman, who was learning how to fit inside my skin.

I liked that she taught me stuff and didn't judge me for not knowing everything.

Unlike my mother. So very unlike her and her bitchy comments and inside jokes about me. She hadn't taught me anything about how to be in love or be a part of a family. And I wanted all of that. Had wanted it. And Esme was going to make sure I had it all.

So I freaking loved her. So much.

Bonus was that Esme was sort of weird like I was. She wasn't perfect. Didn't really give two shits about her appearance, which didn't mean she was a frump or troll or anything. She was actually a beautiful lady. But she wasn't all about her hair and nails and the latest style. She was just Esme. Funky flip-flops and loud ass shirts.

Her family was what was important to her. They were everything. She took care of them, even though they were grown, she had her finger on the pulse of that Cullen clan and that pressure never let up. If there were problems, she knew about it. If there was something to celebrate, she was pinata shopping at six in the morning.

They were her life, and for that reason, she had produced some of the very best human beings I'd ever met in my life.

And together, we were going to plan the most kick ass wedding so I could marry my favorite Cullen. I wasn't sure what would get accomplished in a week, but if we at least came up with a game plan, Edward would be happy. And that, would make me even happier.

We hadn't told his family we were going to move if, and when, he got picked up and took a contract with Chicago. We wanted to wait until he had the contract in hand, and a plan in place. He was such a freaking planner. I was honestly so grateful for his tenacity. I was the worst decision maker. I'd mess around and think about it until I was blue in the face and still have no idea what I wanted to do.

He was the glue. Sexy, glue-holding man.

*****SLAPSHOT*****

We were dead on our feet by the time we landed at O'Hare. There were three days ahead of us before he played again, and I loved when we had an extra day to recoup.

It was even better that we could recoup at his mom's house.

Carl was picking us up at the airport, because Esme would not hear of us taking a taxi or car when we were coming straight to the house. I guess when he visited this was the norm. I figured he was giving me a cushion before meeting the family last time we'd visited.

Once we got our bags, we headed toward the pick up area so we could wait for Carl.

"I hope my mom cooked. I'm fucking starving."

I leaned my head against his arm and shifted my weight for him to take. I was hungry too, but mostly, I was tired.

"I hope she does too. But I really want to hit that twin and crash."

He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and kissed the top of my head and I swear, it was the sweetest gesture he'd ever given. We'd grown a lot in the weeks we'd been travelling together. After our little bump in the road, we were so in tune.

Simpatico.

I'd always felt comfortable with him. At least since our first date and I'd gotten over the initial shock of being in his presence that way, but we had taken that comfort to a new level.

It was the most peaceful I'd ever felt.

"I think I smell like butt hole. You think they'll mind if I shower before I mingle?"

He leaned down and gave me a sniff and I looked up and glared at him.

He laughed. "What? I was just checking. You're kind of ripe, but you haven't hit ass yet."

"Thanks," I murmured. "Can't say the same about you."

He squeezed me tighter and rubbed his chin on my head. "It was your idea to go for round two last night. If you would have let me sleep, I would have had time to shower this morning."

Oh yeah, right. Like he had no part in any of the shenanigans from the night before.

"I remember that differently. It was your dick poking me in the butt when I was trying to sleep, mister. Not the other way around."

"Tomato, Tomahto."

This dude.

"Well, good thing you got it in while you could, sport. There won't be any hanky-panky at your mom's house this time. We're going to be on our best behavior."

Edward chuckled like it was the funniest thing he'd ever heard.

"I'm being serious."

"There isn't anyone there but my parent's and they're downstairs. Garrett isn't staying there anymore."

I'd forgotten about Garrett. And the fact that I'd finally get to meet his wife and his kids. Hearing about them so much, I couldn't wait.

Especially the new baby. Seth Cullen had wiggled his way out of his mommy's belly three weeks ago.

I was also glad he was trying to make things work out with his wife. It sounded like they had the perfect relationship according to everyone else. I truly wondered what had gone wrong.

I was finding that pregnancy was some complicated business from talking to Rosalie and Emmett, but I couldn't imagine Rosalie sending Emmett to the curb, ever. And that guy could get on a nerve like no one else on earth. It just didn't make any sense.

But, for the good of everyone, I wanted them to work it out. Especially with a new baby. Having two little kids and a new baby alone would suck balls, so his ass needed to be there for her.

A horn honked three times, and I looked up to see Carl crawling toward the curb in his big boat of a truck.

"Here we go," Edward said. "Go on ahead and get in. I'll take care of this stuff."

I didn't argue. I was dead on my feet.

"Thank you, sweets."

He grinned an incredible grin, pushed me gently in the direction of his dad's truck and started gathering up our shit.

Carl was already getting out of the truck as I walked up and he gave me a grin as only the man who'd created Edward Cullen could give.

"How you doin', darling girl?"

I sighed. "I'm good. Tired, but good. Thanks for picking us up."

He rounded the front of the truck, flipping off a rude driver as he darted into the spot ahead of us, and came around to give me a one armed hug.

"It's my pleasure. It's just stupid to pay some asshole when I can do it."

Charming Carl.

"Well, we're glad you did. You're much better company than a taxi driver."

He winked and then turned toward Edward as he approached. They hugged and then without any fanfare, lugged all our stuff into the truck and we were on our way.

They talked about hockey the entire ride back to the house, and I dozed off a little bit here and there. It was about an hour from the airport, with traffic, so it gave me plenty of time to rest.

Plus, I didn't know what the fuck they were talking about, so I couldn't really interact.

But I did listen a little. Only because it was so cute the way Edward was with his dad. And Carl, well, you had to love him. Mostly because of how freaking much he loved his boy. Pride poured out of him, even when he talked shit about something he felt Edward had done wrong.

It was just his way.

But he loved his family, and I had officially because part of his brood. He took to me instantly, and it felt really good having a dad type person who didn't ignore me or treat me like shit.

I liked Carl a hell of a lot.

It was mid afternoon when we arrived at the house, and the same as the first time I visited, Esme came flying out of the house the second we drove into the driveway.

"What took so long? That was a long drive!"

She rounded the front of the truck and ripped the passenger door open and gave me an ackward and tight hug. "I was coming out of my skin! I'm so glad you're here."

Shit. So was I. Had I ever had someone so excited to see me? No. Not ever in my life.

"Well, your husband drives like a snail," I told her, grabbing my purse and climbing out. "I thought we were in a parade."

"I heard that, smart ass," Carl growled from the back of the truck.

Esme smiled so bright her eyes went squinty and she squeezed my shoulders before heading to the back to hug her boy.

"I told him to step on it. I made cutlets, and he knows damn good and well they taste like shit when they're cold."

"Cutlets?" Edward inquired. "Hell yes."

"He's starved to death," I told her. "He's about to pass out from lack of food."

She rubbed Edward's chest and turned to face me. "It's a miracle he has enough energy to play the way he eats on the road. I tell him every day he needs to eat. You have to keep on him to eat enough protein."

I tried not to roll my eyes. We talked to the woman fifty times a day practically. Before we got on a plane, when we got off a plane, when we got to our room, and rinse and freaking repeat.

She'd mentioned protein no less than one hundred and seventy times in three weeks.

No lie.

I wasn't even sure my mom ever even asked if I'd eaten when I was growing up. She supplied food and expected I'd eat it, I guess.

Esme's concern was one of the most badass parts of her. And to note, she made sure to ask if I was eating, and what, also.

"We ate fine, ma. I told you, Bella has Carmen wrapped around her finger. I got shit from the guys about being spoiled."

She smacked his arm. "Oh, boo-hoo. You enjoy the perks your charming wife-to-be brings you. They're just jealous. Now come on before this lunch is garbage."

We filed into the house, and it was a much calmer situation than the first time I'd walked into the warmth of the Cullen home. It smelled like food and comfort and love and I closed my eyes and breathed all of it in.

"Leave this by the stairs. You guys come eat and then you can get settled in later.

While I wished I could wash the funk off and rest first, my mouth watered thinking about the food Esme made for us. So we stacked our bags, and headed in to the dining room to eat.

And I felt like I'd finally taken my first breath in over a month.

* * *

**Thank you for reading!**

**I hope you all had a nice holiday! I'm still in a food coma!**

**If you're out shopping this weekend BE CAREFUL! Crazy people are out in droves! **

**Love, **

**Jami **


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31**

* * *

"I hope you don't mind, but I've dog-eared a few things I thought were fantastic. Now, I wasn't sure what colors you were thinking, but blue seems to be a beautiful color on you, so that might be the way to go."

I sat cross-legged on the sofa, surrounded by about thirty bridal magazines. There were a few household type magazines you saw at the check out stands at the market thrown in there as well.

And Jesus Christ… the woman was on a serious mission.

Edward wasn't lying when he said his mom would be down to help out. She was not fucking around.

"I can't believe you already went through all of these. There are a lot of them."

She waved her hand at me as to say, whatever, and rolled her eyes. "I stopped in at CVS as soon as you were engaged to pick these up. I wanted to get a jump on ideas in case you needed advice. And of course, I'd hope you would."

I threw her a soft smile. "I wasn't sure how to ask, but yeah. I do need help."

She tilted her head and threw a look at Alice. "I told you she wouldn't mind."

Alice laughed. "All I said was to calm down a bit. You get a little hyper about things like this."

Katie, who I'd just met that morning, laughed. "Hyper is an understatement. She had the church booked before I even said yes."

Esme's leg bounced on her knee and she clucked her tongue. "I had been planning that wedding since you asked Garrett to Sadie Hawkins in your sophomore year."

Katie laughed again and I peered over at her and smiled.

She rocked the baby in one arm while flipping through a magazine on her lap. She was so different than what I'd imagined. Especially after seeing Garrett with Victoria.

Katie put that ho to shame in so many ways it wasn't even funny. She was soft and pretty and funny. She was an amazing mother and had the sweetest voice I'd ever heard.

But with all that, she was also so strong. Independent and smart. I could see her telling Garrett to kick rocks and not break a sweat.

I had a major girl crush on her already.

"Have you put any thought into what type of dress you want, Bella?" Kate asked.

I took a deep breath, held it in my cheeks, and blew it out long and slow. "I have not. I have no idea."

"Oh," Esme cried. She jumped out of her chair and reached over to grab a stack of magazines off the table. "You'd look beautiful in a ball gown. Something full and fitted at the bust."

"No!" Alice and Kate said in unison.

I had to agree. I could not see myself in something big and poofy. All that lace and fabric. I'd probably end up tripping over myself and dying.

"Mom, no one wears ball gowns anymore. Plus, I see Bella in something more modern. Simple. Something elegant."

Modern sounded good. Simple sounded even better. I wished I could get away with wearing a sundress. There was no freaking way I was wearing a ball gown.

"Well, we've been at this all afternoon, Alice. We don't have a lot of time to get things done and the dress is the most important part of planning. After she decides what she wants, we need to shop, get alterations, accessories. We only have a very small window. I'm just trying to help."

I frowned. "I think we'll be okay if I don't find a dress this weekend. I mean, it's not like we're getting married tomorrow. We just started throwing out dates."

Esme's head snapped up and her back went rigid. "Sweetheart, this wedding needs to happen soon. We only have a couple of months before the season starts. Edward travels almost constantly during the full season. There won't be time."

Wait a minute. Was she high?

"Oh, no no no no. There's no way we can do it that fast. Does Edward know this?"

Alice laughed and threw down the magazine she was looking through. "Of course he knows. He didn't tell you? I mean, you can look up the schedule of the games online."

Well, that was bitchy, but I wasn't going to focus on her snark when I had to figure out what the hell to do about planning a wedding in five minutes.

"So he will be playing all the time? He won't have any breaks? He was on breaks before playoffs."

Esme smiled. "He has more time between games during the regular season, but we don't want to rush the event, do we?"

I threw my hands in the air. Dude. That's just what she said we had to do. Rush. The. Fucking. Event. What the heck did she mean?

"I don't know what to do then. I thought I'd had more time. Maybe we can wait. Do it next summer or something."

Esme stood and gathered up our glasses and turned to head into the kitchen. "Nonsense. We can do this. I'll go get some refills and then we can get back to work."

She left the room and suddenly I felt hot and uncomfortable all over. Nothing like an over eager mother-in-law to set off a full-on panic attack.

"Don't worry, Bella. You don't have to agree to anything right now. Esme gets carried away, but she means well. But the thing is, she's right. It'd be much better to get a wedding together for the off months. That way you guys aren't in a hurry and you can enjoy it. Have a honeymoon. All of that."

I turned to face Kate, and damn. I was so grateful she was along for the ride. Why she was so interested, I had no idea. But she'd kind of tucked me under one of her wings and I was glad she was there.

Because Alice? She was being a real dick.

"What's your favorite color, Bella? For flowers, and bridesmaids' dresses and linens?

I sighed and then turned again to face Alice who sat across the room, legs tucked underneath her and a bored look on her face. I wanted to tell her my favorite colors were black and blue like my knuckles once I knocked her out.

"Is there a problem, Alice? I mean, did I do something to piss you off? Because you're acting really bitchy."

Kate snorted and put a hand on my arm. "Yeah, the problem is she's bitter because she's not getting married."

"Shut up, Kate. That's not it."

Okay, so… what was her issue. There was something and it was getting bigger and uglier by the minute. I did not want to have to bitch slap my fiance's sister in front of my soon to be mother in law.

That's just rude as hell.

"Is it Victoria?"

I felt two sets of eyes snap on me and the room went completely silent.

_Shit._

"I'm sorry, Kate. I didn't mean to bring her up."

God. Could I get any stupider. I mean, hello!

"Don't worry about it, Bella. It doesn't bother me. We've already worked through that whole situation. He got the shit end of the stick out of it, and he knows it. I got peace and quiet and he got a psycho stalker. He knows he messed up and he's working his ass off to prove he's worthy of where he's at. End of. Honest."

Well damn. Kate was a freaking saint. I didn't get it. At all. There was no way in hell I'd be okay with Edward detouring with a chick, but hey. What did I know about their relationship?

"Why would Victoria have anything to do with anything? Why even bring her up?"

"Uh, because you're friends? Maybe I'm getting a vibe that you don't like me being with Edward."

Before she could answer, Esme walked in and dropped the tray with our drinks on the table. "Who doesn't want you to be with Edward?"

I threw a glare at Alice and then smiled up at Esme. "No one. We were just talking."

She hummed and took her seat across from us again. "I heard. But it's darling how you try to save me from drama, Bella. You'll learn soon enough I hear and know it all."

Damn. That stung.

"I didn't mean to lie. I just didn't want you to be upset."

She turned to Alice, ignoring me. "What is your problem? You've been a snit for weeks, and I want to know why. If you're not ready to talk about it, or don't want to talk about it, you should head on home and stop pissing on our planning. You're being a real spoiled brat."

Alice's face twisted into rage and she slammed the magazine down and got off the couch. I was stunned. This girl could do dramatic like I'd never seen, and I was pretty damn theatrical.

"It has nothing to do with your darlings and this stupid wedding, okay? I have shit on my mind and I don't want to talk about it."

She turned on me.

"I'm not friends with Victoria. I've known her a long time, but we're not buddies, if that's what you're worried about. I was more or less playing double team so I could see what she was up to. I didn't trust her not to mess with my brother."

I raised an eyebrow. "And do you trust me not to mess with your brother?"

She threw her arms in the air and huffed. "I do, Bella. You're fine. Great. You're perfect for him. It has nothing to do with you, I swear. For once, this is all about me. Not Garrett, not Jasper, and not fucking Edward. Me!"

"Language," Esme scolded. "I think you need to go home. Take a nap. Have a nip of whiskey. Something to get that burr out of your butt."

I couldn't help myself. I snorted.

Alice glared.

The baby starting crying, and then it was just total chaos. Kate bounced the baby, Esme jumped up and ran over to help, do I don't know what, and Alice continued to seethe with both hands on her hips like she wanted to tear down the entire house.

And then my phone rang.

I looked down at the phone and groaned. It was like my mother could sense when I was dealing with shit and just wanted to turn the knife a little more. Her timing was horrendous.

But at that moment, she was the less of two evils.

"I need to take this call. It's my mom."

No one paid any attention as I slipped out of the den and went up the stairs, pushing answer on my phone as I cleared the landing and slid into Edward's old bedroom.

"Hey mom."

"Sweetheart," she sang. "You never called me back. I was worried."

I rolled my eyes at the ceiling. "Mom, I told you I wouldn't have any time until after playoffs. We're running around like crazy from place to place."

"Well, aren't we important," she snapped.

Just what I needed. This crazy broad and her attitude. Why were women so freaking annoying?

"If you want to get technical, yeah. My fiancé is super important. He's a star hockey player on a team in the playoffs for the title of best team in the United States. I'd say it's more important than me listening to you bitch about the way Phil's feet smell."

I had no idea if that's what the playoffs thingy was called, or what it meant. I knew it meant they got a big trophy and a bunch of big dicks were wagging about it, but whatever. I wanted Edward to win because he was Edward and he wanted to.

Otherwise.

Meh. Whatever.

"I realize," she said. "Which is why it would have been nice to have had a seat to watch my daughter's fiancé play while she was in Orlando. Phil would have loved to have been invited. Imagine how impressed he'd be with the VIP treatment at a professional hockey game."

I rolled my eyes again. I swear, she was going to give me a migraine. "Why would I invite Phil? Plus, who says I get VIP tickets and shit, mom? Is that what this is about? You want to brag about being able to get freebies from Edward? That's not happening, which is why I didn't call you while we were there. This is his job. It's not a chance for you to schmooze."

"He's going to be my son-in-law. I'm proud to say my daughter is marrying a hockey player. That's not a crime, Bella. You're so dramatic."

This. Bitch.

"If I was engaged to someone who worked at say, Jiffy Lube, or a police officer or something, would you want to flaunt that to your friends? No. You wouldn't. You want to attach yourself to me now because you think there is some benefit to you. You think Edward is some kind of commodity to make you look good. It doesn't work that way, and I'm not letting you mess this up. I wouldn't care if Edward was the guy who washed the doggy poo out of the kennels at the shelter. I wouldn't care if he was a bum on the street, mom. I love him because he makes me smile and feel safe. You wouldn't know how that kind of happiness feels because you don't feel shit."

"Bella," she snapped. "Why are you getting so upset with me. I truly only want to share your life and your life happens to involve a man who plays hockey. What is going on? Are you two having trouble."

I ran my fingers through my hair and pulled my feet up underneath me and leaned against the wall. Oh how I wished my mom was the type of person I could vent with. Someone I could feel safe sharing my worries and get advice.

But no. She wasn't that woman.

"Actually, no, mom. Everything is great. In fact, I need to let you go. I'm in the middle of doing some wedding planning and people are waiting on me. I'll try to call you sometime next week. Okay?"

"We should talk about the wedding planning together. I want to be involved, too."

I wanted to laugh but didn't. That wasn't gonna happen.

"I'll let you know if I need anything, mom. I'm going dress shopping while I'm here in Chicago, so I need to get a move on."

"I was thinking," she started. I rolled my eyes. I wasn't going to get off the damn phone any time soon.

"My wedding dress from my wedding to George is gorgeous. It was expensive, and it should fit you. Maybe needs to be let out a little at the hips, but it would work."

"No," I said emphatically. "I'm wearing a dress of my own. It's my damn wedding and I want my own damn dress. This isn't about you. At all. Sorry mom, but you have to understand how sick I am of your shit. You haven't once asked if I'm excited about getting married, or if I'm nervous, or how the fuck I feel about it. Never have you said how happy you are for me. It's all about the superficial bullshit I don't care about and I'm done. Do. Not. Fuck. This. Up. Not now, not ever. It's mine."

"You're being selfish, Bella. You're my daughter, and I have dreamed about your wedding day. I want to be part of the wedding. That isn't too much to ask."

I thought about her words as they whirled through my ears and into my brain and then thought about the women in the other room. All of them were being pushy, frankly.

And I'd had it with all of them.

It was one thing to help me out, but it was another thing to think I was an idiot. And that's when all the lightbulbs went off in my head.

"Mom, I need to go. I'll call you another time when I'm not so pissy and you're not so bitchy."

I clicked the call off and threw the phone on the bed. I paced the room, running my fingers through my hair. My idea was going to make everyone flip their wigs, but that was the whole point. I was the one losing my wig and they were making it a whole scene.

There was a knock at the door and I turned to see Alice peek her head in. Just what I needed after the phone call with my mom.

"Alice, it's not a good time."

"I just wanted to apologize. I've been horrible, and I want to explain."

I really, really wasn't in the mood. But I waved her in anyway.

She sat on Edward's bed and looked around the room, a small smile on her face.

"I overheard a little of your conversation. I'm sorry. I wasn't eavesdropping. You were just kind of loud."

I sat on the little chair at the old desk and stared at her. She looked so much different than the bratty bitch she'dbeen downstairs, and after the day I'd had, I figured I owed her a chance to explain why she'd been so nasty to me.

Screw that.

I deserved to hear why she'd been so nasty to me.

"My mother brings it out in me. I'm really stressed out. She gets on my nerves."

She rolled her eyes. "I can relate."

I gave her a look of disbelief. "No, Esme's great. My mother is Satan's ugly sister. You have no idea."

She laughed. "Esme is great to you. My mother is a pain in my ass. She's on me all the time, and I almost can't stand it anymore."

Oh. OH.

She had mom issues.

"I had no idea. You two seem to get along well. And she is always so nice."

She waved her hand and leaned forward. "She is nice all the time. I am not nice all the time. I have a lot of shit going on, and I can't talk to her about it. Worse, she bugs me about the stupidest shit and has no idea what she's talking about. I am a grown woman and she treats me like I'm ten. They all do."

I decided to go for it. Open the door and let her know I could be a great listener. I wasn't, mostly, but I could see she was about to lose it. I could try.

"You want to talk about it?"

She groaned. "I guess. I mean, yeah, but not really. Okay—but you have to swear you won't say anything to anyone. You have to promise."

I made a cross on my heart and nodded. "This won't leave the room. Promise."

She took a deep breath, straightened her shoulders and blurted it out. "I think I'm pregnant."

"Jesus," I breathed. "What?"

That was totally not what I was expecting at all. And to be honest, I wanted to not know it real fast.

"Wait a minute—you were drinking with us. A month ago! Your kid could have brain damage, Alice!"

Her eyes narrowed. "Not helping, Bella," she spat. "I just found out. Like, two days ago. I didn't know. I mean, I don't even think I'm that far along. Maybe six, seven weeks."

"Holy fuck," I said. I gaped at her like I was seeing a Martian. This was insane. I didn't even think she was going out with anyone.

"Who is it? The dad I mean? I didn't know you were dating anyone."

She groaned and buried her head in her hands. "It's a mess. No one knows about it. I didn't mean for this to happen."

I looked around the room like the answers to this fucking puzzle would appear any minute and explain how the fuck I got dragged into this freaking disaster secret club. I couldn't handle someone's secret. I was terrible at keeping my mouth shut. I could already feel the hives tickling my skin with the urge to spill all the torrid details to someone.

Like Edward.

He was going to shit his pants.

"Okay, well, you don't have to tell me. But, Alice, what are you going to do? You have to tell your mom."

She looked up at me wild-eyed. "Hell no. Bella, you can't. She can't know."

I raised an eyebrow at her. "Well, pretty sure when you're pregnant, you typically grow a baby. And that causes you to get bigger. You know, in the stomach area. I think she'll figure it out eventually."

"Do you have to be such a freak all the time? God, no shit I'll get bigger. But I can't tell her yet. She's going to freak out."

Uh, hell yes she was. And so was Carl. And Edward. And Jasper.

Shit. I was freaking out.

"Does the guy know?"

She shook her head and when she looked up at me, her eyes were full of tears. It was the most vulnerable I'd ever seen Alice.

"He's married."

My eyes popped out of my head.

"Married? Holy crap."

She dropped her head and started to bawl, and that was it for me. I'd apologize to her later, but I flat out lied when I said I'd keep her secret.

I was calling Edward.

* * *

**HEY**

**Thanks for waiting!**

**It's been a shitty month, between starting a new job, pain in the ass family, and the holidays and I just haven't had time to get to updates! But I promise things are slowing down again so they're gonna come quickly once again.**

**Hope you are all enjoying the holiday madness! **

**Have a great weekend.**

**XO**

**Jami**


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter 32**

* * *

When I got a phone call from Bella, I'd been sure it was because she was stressed out with all the wedding shit. And my mom could get a little out of hand—I knew it would be a lot.

But this? This was not what I thought I was going to walk into.

"What are we going to do, Edward? I mean, shit! She's freaking out. I'M freaking out."

I rubbed the palms of my hands over my face and groaned. It wasn't an ideal situation, but it wasn't the end of the world. My sister was a smart woman—obviously not smart enough not to get knocked up by a married man—but I figured she'd be fine raising a kid.

Plus, she wouldn't be alone. Not in our family.

"Calm down, baby. It's not that bad. She's just in shock. Once it wears off, she'll deal with it. It's a kid. Everyone will be supportive."

"Well, at least your mom will finally get off my ass to get pregnant. That's a bonus out of this shit show."

I laughed under my breath. My mom wouldn't let up. If anything, she'd wind up even tighter. The more babies, the happier she'd be.

"I really wish my mouth had an alarm. I mean, seriously? When am I ever helpful? Why did I volunteer to listen to your sister's problems when she's been a total bitch to me since I got here? I should have told her to hit the bricks with her crap. I can't deal with someone's drama. I'm going to end up blurting it out to your mom. You know that right?"

I didn't doubt it. Bella's verbal diarrhea was legendary.

"Come here, baby. I think you need a distraction."

She huffed, spun around, and looked at me with wild eyes. "What I need is to go find a super-powered diaphragm with double duty safety features to be in this house. It's like an infection around here. Don't get near me with that Cullen baby potion. Keep it in your pants."

"Bella. Come. Here."

She moved toward me slowly, like she seriously thought I'd impregnate her just by breathing the same air.

Once she was on my lap, I pulled her tight against me and felt the tension leave her body. She could get herself so worked up over shit.

"Did Alice say who the dad was? Or is that something she's not sharing."

"Her boss," she said into my neck. "And he's married."

I got the married part, which didn't make sense. I couldn't imagine my sister doing some shit like that, but knowing who it was now, well, it all fell into place.

"I'm going to kill that motherfucker."

She squeezed her arms around my back and then leaned so she could face me. "What? No! You can't fight this guy! Are you crazy?"

Felix was a snake. He'd been a snake since we were kids, and he'd broken Alice's heart more than once. This was by far the lowest thing I ever expected from him.

She'd gone out with him since high school, and he broke up with her when he'd met some rich chick when he'd gone away to college. She'd been lost after that, for a long time.

"Are you sure she said he's her boss."

"Positive," Bella said. "Which makes it ten times worse! What if she loses her job? And what if this guy doesn't want the baby? She's all alone."

"She won't be alone, baby."

She settled on my lap and relaxed a little, but I could tell she was still wound up.

This was a mess, and there wasn't a whole lot I could do about it. Which wasn't good since my woman wasn't going to rest until there was some sort of solution.

I figured the best way to deflate her tension was to change the subject. It was a quick fix, but I was too tired to deal with Alice's drama. Plus, I only had two more days with Bella before I hit the road again for the last few games of the playoffs.

I wasn't real happy about leaving her with all this stress.

"How did wedding planning go?"

Her eyes went as wide as saucers and I should have known that was another fucking bomb waiting to ignite.

"Terrible," she whispered. "Why didn't you tell me we had to get married so fast? Do you have any idea how much shit is involved with a wedding? Dresses and flowers and venues and music and officiants, which, by the way, I have no fucking idea what that means. Then there are reception halls, and bands or DJ's, and food. All these allergies to fucking consider. Like we could murder someone with our wedding supper. You didn't tell me this, Edward."

I couldn't help it. She was ridiculous. I laughed. "Murder, Bella?"

She smacked my chest. "Yes. Chicken homicide. Or Beef Wellington poisoning. Katie told me. She said one of her friends went to a wedding and there were onions in her dinner, and she is allergic. She told them and they tried to kill her anyway! I can't be responsible for peoples lives. I don't want to do this."

I raised my eyebrows. "You don't want to get married?"

"No. I want to marry you; I don't want a freaking wedding."

That was easy. Fine with me.

"No wedding then. You sure you're okay with that?"

She still looked traumatized and shook her head. "I do not want all that circus shit. I don't want some Disney movie dress I will probably trip and break my ass. I don't want people to eat food and die. I don't want there to be a fight because someone hates jazz music, and I really, really don't want fucking jazz music."

"Got it. Jazz is out. No princess dress. Check that off the list. No food."

"What about you, though? Do you want all that stuff? A real wedding?"

I pushed a piece of hair away from her face and leaned in and kissed her softly. "I figure a real wedding needs a bride and a groom. A coupla rings to seal the deal. A priest or official or whatever to make it stick. All the other crap? That's for the chicks. I want you to have what you want. But I don't want you to give up all of it because you're stressed out. We have plenty of time to plan a wedding you really want."

"But, your mom! She said we have to get to it quick. You'll be on the road and there won't be time."

Jesus. I figured my mom would be like a butterfly in heat over all the wedding crap, but they'd damn near terrorized her with it. Even though I was anxious to put my name on the back of Bella's and my ring on her finger, I wasn't in such a rush that I'd pressure her into a nervous breakdown.

My communication skills were shit, apparently.

I wrapped my arm around her back and twisted at the waist to flip her over on the bed onto her back and hovered over her.

"I think you need a little distraction from all this stress." I ran a finger over her throat and down to her chest. "Maybe if you had something else to think about, you won't worry about my stupid sister and her problems, my overly encouraging mother, or a wedding. Hmm?"

She pushed at my chest and shook her head. "Not even sex with you can distract me. I want to have a plan before I go back down there and face your mom. I'm pretty sure she thinks I've lost my whole mind. I want to tell her in the kindest way possible we are not having a big wedding."

I fell to the side and pulled her so her back was to my chest. My leg went between her knees and I wrapped her legs around mine. This was my favorite place in the world. Tangled up with her, my hand against her heart.

"Like I said, sweetheart. Anything you want. Just don't feel like you have to figure it all out today. My mom only wants you to be happy. She'd be upset if she knew you were stressed."

"I know," she said on a sigh. "And I hate that. Poor lady deserves one sane woman in the family. Katie at least seems sane."

I barked out a laugh. "Katie is awesome. I'll agree to that. Sane? Depends. I think every woman has a little crazy. And it's usually because of some man. Especially my brother."

"She is awesome. I really like her. And her baby. He is so soft."

It'd been something else seeing Bella hold that baby. She'd never been more beautiful than that moment she smiled down at him and then lifted her gaze to mine.

I moved a hand to her belly, wondering how it would be once she was full with my baby. We had a long way to go before we went there, but it didn't mean I didn't think about it a lot.

A little girl with her shiny hair and infectious silly giggle, or a boy with her eyes, strong and proud and freckles on his nose.

"Don't get any ideas, big boy. I've had enough of baby fever in this house. In fact, I am positive it's contagious. I mean it, and I swear I am not saying it again so don't even think about sticking your baby wand in my hooter heaven."

I choked out a laugh and rolled her over again, so she was straddling me. "Hooter heaven? That's a new one."

She had more than a few names for her special places. More like hundreds. She was catching up with names for my dick. I didn't mind. It was part of why I loved her so fucking much. I never knew what was going to come out of her mouth. Not many women were like that. They were careful and practiced. It was boring. Which was why the wait for Bella would be worth every minute.

"Don't try to all swoony and tell me I'm cute. No dirty business. I've been kind of sloppy with my birth control with this whole travelling thing so let's not test fate."

My eyebrows rose. "Is that right."

"Yes," she hissed, then smacked my chest. "Hence the shopping trip I need to take to look for high-powered baby blockage. I wasn't going to say anything because I didn't want you to like, wig out. Because I was already kind of wigging out. So I was going to be very careful, and then take a test if required, and then commence all the dirty business once we were in the clear."

Okay, she was starting to get a little hysterical. And back to chewing on her damn nails while she fidgeted her ass against my dick.

This woman.

I grabbed her wrists and stopped the chewing. The fidgeting I liked. I let that continue.

"Listen. No big deal, right. Honestly, Bella. You could've just told me. I wouldn't have tripped out on it at all. We've talked about this. Talk to me instead of getting all wound up in your head. Yeah?"

"Yeah, but—" I cut her off.

"No buts. None. Same thing I said about Alice, right? It's not ideal, but it's not the end of the world. Besides—I want your babies. I want to give you babies. Have a family. We start on accident, cool."

"Cool," she murmured. She threw her head back and groaned and then fell forward and pulled her hands away from mine and planted them on my chest.

"I need to go handle something real quick. Rest while you can, and I'll fix you something to eat and bring it up. You have a big game tomorrow. You need your beauty rest."

She kissed me on the nose, jumped off the bed and went toward the door. My head spun. Fucking mood swings with this woman.

"Where are you going now? Alice left."

She grabbed the doorknob and sighed before turning around. "I'm going downstairs to find your mother. I need her to dig out her wedding dress."

I shifted to my side and leaned on my elbow. "Keep saying crazy shit, and I'm dragging you in this bed and not letting you out of this room."

She rolled her eyes but smiled. She was thinking about it. "No can do, sweets. I'm thinking this is so much easier. It'll make your mom so happy, and I think a retro dress is just what the doctor ordered. Besides, it'll save time. I have a Big Fat Hockeyfucker Wedding to plan in like five minutes tops, so yeah."

My smile grew. "So the wedding's back on then?"

"Yes," she said through her teeth. "You know, things would be so much easier if you were a plumber, you know. Shitter's don't have seasons."

I was smiling so big my face hurt. God, I loved her. "I can grab a plunger at the Home Depot and start clearing drains any time you want, babe."

"Yeah, and you can suck your own pipe if you don't stop being a smart ass. I'll bring you a snack in a little while. Rest. And wish me luck."

"Luck," I told her as she left the room.

I turned over on my back and folded my arms behind my head. Never a dull moment.

Since I knew how this whole dress thing was going to go down with my mom, I knew I had hours before my girl came back with a snack. Which meant I had plenty of time to have a chat with my old pal Felix.

I lifted my ass and reached into my back pocket and grabbed my phone and pressed my brother's number.

"What?"

Nice.

"Are you still at the club with G and Dad?"

Jasper took a beat to answer. "Yeah, but you have something better going on, I'm out of here. I've had about all the cop talk I can take for the day."

I smiled. "We have a situation. I'm at the house, but I'm leaving now. I should be there in thirty. Wait outside. Tell Dad the crab cakes gave you the shits or something. Do not give them any sign something's up."

Silence again. And then he answers with a smile in his voice. "I'm down."

I was sure once I gave him the story, he'd be more than down. He'd be homicidal.

"See you then."

I ended the call, tossed my phone and grabbed the pad of paper on the desk to leave Bella a note before I left. There was no way I was giving her a heads up before I went. She'd know exactly what I was up to and I wasn't going to let her stop me.

This was big brother business, and she didn't need to worry.

But Felix? That motherfucker had plenty to worry about. And me and Jasper paying him a visit was only the beginning.

* * *

**Hope you are all recovering from all the holiday craziness. How does something that is supposed to be so fun turn into such a pain in the ass? Amiright?**

**More to come! **

**Love you all,**

**XO Jami **


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter 33**

Okay. So here's my confession. I loved the 80's. I mean, over the top, ridiculous, gaudy. Sure. But fashion sort of gave convention the finger in the 80's and I liked that kind of rebellious shit.

After my meltdown over Alice's secret, and my own sort of freak out over a few missed pills, I left Edward in his room and went in search of his mom.

It wasn't hard to find her, honestly. She was always in the kitchen.

And let me tell you, when I asked if I could see her wedding dress, her face gave me all the answers I needed. It meant so much to her, and honestly, Alice was a bitch about it. She wouldn't wear that dress if it meant she could marry the next president of the United States.

Spoiled brat.

She grabbed my hand, dragged me through the house and into the garage where she flipped the lights, bypassed her Chrysler, and went off into a corner nook at the very back.

With a huff, and a drag, she pulled out a huge moving box. The size of a freaking dishwasher. After she pulled off a bunch of old, crummy duct tape, she took a shuddering breath and turned around and grabbed my hand with tears in her eyes.

"Come on. Come see."

Not going to lie—the box threw me off. I mean, how fucking big was this dress. I was absolutely going to murder stupid Alice. That little whore bag. Her mom had kept this enormous dress as a keepsake. Because it meant the world to her.

She started lifting, and all I could see was mounds and mounds of white lace. A lot of it. I was having second thoughts out the ying-yang.

Until she hooked the hanger to a nail hanging from a wooden loft above her and the dress gave shape.

Remember when I'd told Edward I didn't want a princess dress? I totally lied. Secretly, I imagined one of those. I didn't _have_ to have one, but if I was being real, I wanted one.

And yes, I'd most likely fall and break my ass. But I'd look pretty doing it.

So once we laughed and cried, and she cried some more, we headed back in the house where she made an appointment with a friend of hers who was a seamstress so we could have the dress altered.

And have a veil made.

Because as gorgeous as the dress was, the freaking veil was attached to the ugliest satin floppy hat—adorn with fucking feathers (FEATHERS!) and that wasn't happening.

It looked like a swan had fallen from the sky to croak on a hat. It was flat-out no for me.

She agreed, having told me all about how swanky it was back in the day, but how awful it was now.

No feelings hurt at all.

I'd made the woman's day, and it didn't hurt that I scored about a billion daughter-in-law points. So, there was that.

And just like that, the wedding was back on. But I'd made it clear I wanted everything toned down. I didn't do well under pressure, and Esme got that. She only wanted me to have the wedding of my dreams. And she wanted to help make it happen.

It was well past dinner time when Edward and his brother finally made it back to the house. I'd sent a million text messages, but he'd only told me they were handling something and would be back later.

_Be back later._

_Not much longer._

_Eat without us. We'll grab something._

_Don't worry. We're fine._

_Be there soon._

Carl, Esme, and I had dinner. I washed dishes and helped Esme make a chocolate pie afterward, and then the three of us settled in the family room to watch television. Esme talked about the dress—which Carl helped bring in the house for us—and Carl kept sending me tiny winks as she made plans.

He was happy she was happy. And happy I'd done that.

Sitting there with them, listening to Esme ramble on about how much it meant to see her son marry me, and seeing Carl's tender glances and nods while he half listened between watching his crime program on the TV felt so good I never wanted it to end.

And the best feeling, the one that made my heart well up so full I could barely breath was that it never would. They were my family. This was mine. Something I'd wanted, imagined, freaking dreamed of, was right here.

My mother wanted a fucking spectacle. She wanted an event, some fancy show-off for her to wave her hand around and act like she'd had any affect on my life at all.

She didn't care if I had the wedding of my dreams. She didn't care that sitting in that family room with the Cullen's was the happiest place I'd ever spent time. She didn't care at all.

Just like that, I realized I needed to let it go. All the anger and resentment and guilt. My mom was never going to change. She would push and push and then storm in and fuck something up. And then apologize that way she did—acting like it wasn't her fault, but she was sorry someone else made her act the way she had.

It was always her. She was a selfish, miserable woman.

I relaxed against the cushions I had on the floor and leaned on the palm of my hand to watch the show, letting the comfort settle over me.

And then all hell broke loose ten minutes later when Edward and his brother stormed into the house.

"Fucking hell," Carl groaned. He pushed out of his easy chair and headed toward them, grabbing Jasper's hands. "Am I gonna get a phone call about this shit?"

I sat up on my knees, jaw on the floor and waited for someone to tell me what in the world was going on.

Jasper shook out his hand and grinned over at his dad. "Nah. He won't say shit. Trust me."

I gasped and glared at Edward. "You didn't!"

"I didn't do anything," Edward said. "He did."

I glared harder. What a crock of shit. "You promised you wouldn't say anything. Now he knows?"

"Wait!" Esme ordered. "What is going on. And do not say nothing."

"They beat up Alice's boss!" I told her. "I told Edward this was going to happen. I can't keep secrets!"

Esme took a deep breath, turned to Carl, and then pointed toward the stairs. "Go see to his hand. I'll get to the bottom of this."

Oh boy.

Edward ran his hand through his hair and then fisted both hands on his neck as he paced the room. He looked stressed, and under any other circumstances, I would have wanted to go to him, comfort him.

Not at that moment. I wanted to punch him in the nuts. I would never had imagined he would go out like a thug and approach this guy. It wasn't like him, but then again, this was his baby sister.

I don't know. It was too much.

"Is this because of Alice's pregnancy?" Esme asked.

Both Edward and I swung our gaze to her. She'd taken her seat on the sofa again and crossed her legs. Her face was calm, but there was worry in her eyes.

"Why would you say that?" I asked.

"Yes," Edward said at the same time.

"So the baby's father is Felix." She sighed and shook her head. "When did she find out?"

I gaped at her, and then at Edward. Was she a fucking wizard?

"I overheard the two of you talking. I was putting towels away upstairs."

I scowled. "You knew and didn't say anything all day?"

"Sweetheart, I wanted you to relax and enjoy your moment. Alice took it from you once today. I wouldn't allow it twice. She can be selfish, and although this is an extreme situation, your wedding is a beautiful time in your life. It'll only happen once. Her problems are not on you and Edward. She got herself into this mess, and she'll have to figure out how to get out of it. Or through it."

Well, damn. When she put it that way, I couldn't disagree. I mean, I'd kind of felt like Alice was a little spoiled brat anyway, so her mother's confirmation made me feel better.

"This is rough, though. I understand why she's so upset. I thought her attitude toward me was because of me. I wanted to make things smooth, you know?"

She smiled at me. "Oh, I know."

"You know I had to face that prick in person. I'm only here one more day, and I won't have any time for shit tomorrow. I have to meet with the coaches at the hotel at six in the morning, and then we're conditioning at the arena by ten before the game. Then I'm on a plane back to Washington the second that fucking game is over."

"I know, son. But did you have to tell Jasper?"

He laughed and held up his hands. "My hands are money, ma. I break my hand, and I'm fucked. The only thing Jasper has to deal with is jerking off with his left hand for about a week."

"Edward," I hissed.

But Esme laughed. Laughed!

"He needed to blow off some steam. Good for him." And then she leaned forward. "And what did that little pissant have to say about Alice?"

I guess there was no love lost on Felix for any of the Cullens. Well, except for Alice, obviously. She seemed to like him all right.

Edward crouched down on the floor next to me, nudging me to sit in his lap and wrapping his arms around me. He kissed the top of my head and I know he was hoping to chill me out. But I was pissssssed. And I was going to stay pissed.

"Don't be mad."

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. "You should go grab some food. Your mom put a plate in the microwave for you. You have to be up early tomorrow, remember?"

"I know." He kissed the top of my head again and then spoke to his mom. "I made it clear there is no way he's keeping this shit from his wife. He fucked up, and he's going to face it. With Alice, and with his family. He says he's separated, but I don't care. I don't know if it's a lie, or what, but I wanted to make sure he knew he wasn't going to bully Alice. She's going to have enough to deal with."

Esme's lips pressed together in a line and she looked torn. God, how do you even deal with something like this? And this poor woman had just gone through all the crap with Garrett.

"I'm going to go upstairs and get ready for bed," I said, pushing off the floor. "Thank you for today, Esme. I'll be ready to go tomorrow morning for the fitting."

I ignored Edward and headed upstairs, peeled out of my clothes and settled into bed in my warm pajamas. I took out a notebook I'd picked up at the hotel a few days ago and started jotting down some notes.

After I'd finished with the dress details with Esme, I called Rosalie. The truth of it all was that I had all kinds of anxiety not being able to have her around. I needed her to be a part of the wedding. Plain and simple, she was my family. She was a part of me I couldn't disconnect.

I couldn't imagine getting married without her. It wouldn't be the wedding of my dreams. I wanted all the people important to me there. And with her on bedrest, it was eating at me.

I couldn't get married in Chicago if she couldn't be there.

After she screamed at me about how ridiculous it was, she finally let up and understood. She was important and she admitted she'd be crushed if she couldn't watch me walk down the aisle.

Once that was settled, she talked me through flowers and invites and receptions. We brainstormed through a million ideas, and at the end of the call, I felt a wave of relief wash over me.

And then I asked to talk to Emmett.

I'd been so nervous to ask him to walk me down the aisle. Would he think it was weird? Be insulted? Think I was crazy?

No. None of those. The big man cried. Said he would be honored and that he would have been bummed if I hadn't asked.

So there we were.

My little substitute mom and dad had wiped away about two months of anxiety in an hour and a half phone call.

When I hung up, I had Esme take pictures of me in her dress and I shot them off to Rosalie so I could get her opinion. I had already made the decision to wear the dress because I truly did love it. But having her gush about it and shoot ideas about how to tweak and adjust it to me sealed the deal with super glue.

I'd been waiting all evening for Edward to get back from wherever the hell he'd gone to tell him about all of it. Especially after my mini meltdown. And then he'd gone and acted like a freaking street thug.

And I was pissed.

I stabbed the page with my pen, growling, and then shut the book and tossed it in the middle of the bed before dropping to the pillow. I was glad Esme had upgraded Edward's old twin bed for a full size because there would be no touchy-feely bullshit going on up in that bed.

Not ten minutes later, Edward came into the room. I kept my eyes shut, but he knew I wasn't asleep. He went about stripping out of his clothes and slid into bed without a word.

He pulled me back against his chest and rested his head on my shoulder.

"It was stupid, and I'm sorry. I had to do something though. My conscience wouldn't let me let it go."

"I get it," I lied.

"You don't."

I rolled over and faced him. "No, I really don't. I mean, Garrett brought some tramp to dinner and everyone was like, whatever. Alice is a grown ass woman. She fucked a married dude and got knocked up. Seems to me, she's the idiot. He's a jerk, yeah, but she's not blameless."

"But there's history with that guy."

I huffed. "There was history with Victoria, too."

He winced. "Touche."

"Ugh," I groaned and pushed him off me. "Don't say touche. It's such a stupid thing to say. It's not touche. It's the truth. Just tell me you were a dick and your sorry and then I'll tell you about my day. Fair?"

He smirked and grabbed my waist and hoisted me back against him. "I was a dick. I'm sorry."

I flicked his chest and then sat up so I could tell him my plans.

"There have been a change of plans. I'm wearing your mom's dress, and it's awesome. And we're getting married in Seattle. I have to have Rosalie at my wedding. It's non-negotiable. She can't travel, and everyone here can. You have a buttload of money, so you can ship everyone to Seattle."

His smile widened and he pulled me down and pressed his lips against mine. "I love it when you show how big your balls are. I love this idea."

"Yeah?"

It wasn't like I expected him to argue—he had basically given me the reigns from the get go, but he was being mighty agreeable.

"Yeah, Bella. I told you—all I want is you. The wedding is something I know you want but you've been worried about what everyone else wanted and hadn't allowed yourself to just do what you wanted. This is once in a lifetime, babe. I want you to have it all."

"You sure know how to get me out of being mad at you."

"You love me, you can't stay mad."

"I know how you can make it up to me," I said, wiggling against his leg. "And since I won't see you for a few days, you could leave a lasting impression."

In an instant, I was flipped onto my back, and he had slid down my body to leave that lasting impression.

And as always, I was impressed.

* * *

**As always, I appreciate all of you who take the time to read and review! **

**Hugs!**

**XO JAMI**


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter 34**

**This one is for Dee-the kindest, sweetest woman. Who could always make me smile with her sweet smiling words.**

* * *

It felt so good being back in Washington. Being in our home. The house I'd barely been able to get used to and comfortable in before we'd taken off for the road.

And I missed my dog. I had no idea how Edward did it. All I knew was that when the next season came along, there was no way I was leaving that dog with thunder-tits across the street for weeks on end.

Gordie needed his mama.

And she needed to be gone.

I stretched out on the fluffy sofa I was learning to love more and more and Gordie hopped up to lay across my feet. I pulled my blanket off the back and shuffled underneath it and turned to watch the gigantic television in front of me.

"Hurry up in there, Emmett! You're going to miss the puck drop!"

I microwave ping from behind me and then the thundering clamor of Emmett as he headed out the kitchen with two beers in one hand, a bowl of nacho cheese stuff in another, and a bag of chips under his arm.

He placed them all on the table and popped the cap on my beer and then fell into the reclining chair next to the couch.

"You are not sleeping with me after you eat that crap," Rosalie groaned from the other side of the sofa where I'd made her a little nest. "That pollutes your butthole and I can't keep anything in my stomach as it is."

Emmett leaned forward, scooping a huge glob of the yellow sludge into a chip, and slid it in his mouth, his eyes pinned to hers. "You can't sleep without me. You'll live."

She glared.

"Shut up. Seriously. You two have gotten so annoying while I was gone. Zip it. This is important. My man is about to grab himself this championship. Can you chill out?"

It appeared that pregnancy was more than not agreeing with Rose. She was a hot mess with a side of shit show. She was still sick almost all day every day and had been having a hard time sleeping. Big bags hung under her bright blue eyes, and her cheeks sunk into her face like she had a constant pucker.

I'd heard about the pregnancy glow, and poor Rose did not have it. She was still on bed rest, and I could see it was making the two of them nuts. Emmett was worried, and as usual, mostly covered it with his smart-ass remarks. But you could see the fear in his eyes, and he hated seeing her sick.

"It burns my eyes when he farts after eating that cheese, Bella. It's disgusting!"

I rolled my eyes again and turned back to the TV where the announcer was talking about the game.

"Talk about burning. I had no idea that kind of gas could come out of you until you got pregnant. It raises the fucking blankets."

"Because it's your foul child inside me!"

"Shut. Up!"

Rosalie mumbled something under her breath and Emmett chuckled. "Are you regretting not going with him now, Bella?"

"Yes," I told him, shaking my head. "Very much. Me and my dog are trying to watch Edward. I need to make sure I watch every single thing he does. I don't want to miss one minute. So keep your crap to yourselves."

They stopped their bickering as the minutes ticked by during the first period. I was finally getting the hang of the game, although, I still didn't understand all the rules, and watched intently as Edward moved across the ice with grace and focus.

He was fast on those skates. I was amazed at how well he could move across the ice with the other players, carrying that big ass stick. He seemed to know what his next move would be and carried through like it was second nature.

"I can't believe you missed this game, Bella. Twilight is taking the cup. We're already up by four goals."

I was on the edge of my seat, or sofa as it was, and glared over at Emmett. "We decided together. We're going to celebrate when he gets home."

He shrugged and opened another beer and sat back against the back of the chair. "When does he get back?"

I sighed. "He's leaving in the morning. He wanted to leave right away, but after we talked about it, he knew it wasn't going to be easy. Media shit, he said."

There was a fifty-fifty chance they'd win, obviously. Of course, I had no doubt they would. They'd had the best season they'd had in years. Edward explained how much attention was involved with the cup, and the winning team. He'd have interviews for weeks, both individually and with the team once they won. Which meant even though the season would be over with, his job would not.

"Are we still doing cake tasting on Saturday?" Rose asked.

I grabbed a brownie off the plate on the table and shoved half of it in my mouth before nodding.

"They'll be here at six," I mumbled through a mouthful. "Guess it's a good thing my fiancé is famous around here. Dropped his name and they were more than willing to bring it to us."

I couldn't fathom tasting cakes without Rose. Since she couldn't go to the bakery, they were coming to us. A wife of one of his teammates had used them for her wedding the year before, and she'd given me their number. Apparently, they were very good, and they were willing to accommodate us for the chance to work with another Twilight player.

"That place is insane. I have to admit, I follow their Instagram religiously. The lemon tartlets I make are inspired by the one's they make. And the cakes are surreal."

I smiled at her. It stung that she wouldn't be making my wedding cake, and I knew it bothered her, too. She didn't make cakes for weddings, at least not anymore, but she'd always wanted to.

Her little shop had morphed into a coffee shop, and I knew she had aspired to have something different. But she'd created a lucrative business with the way things were.

"I'm glad you're going to be there to help me. I have no idea what to pick. I know I want chocolate cake, and so does Edward. But I don't know what it should look like."

Her eyes shined. "I've been saving some really interesting designs that remind me of you. I'll show you after the game. Oh, and I have some flower ideas for you too. I started searching the internet for some arrangements after you asked me about them."

I let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you. This is a lot, but I'm glad you're going to help."

She rubbed a hand over her belly and shifted on the sofa. "It's going to be beautiful. Everything you ever imagined. Now that you aren't freaking out, isn't it kind of fun to plan?"

It had been. Once the initial panic went away, I'd been having a blast planning the wedding. We'd decided to keep it small, but it was going to be spectacular. I'd found a gorgeous venue two days ago, and Edward paid the deposit over the phone. The place was gorgeous, on the rooftop of a beautiful hotel where we would have the landscape of Seattle behind us as we said our vows.

Everything was falling into place, and in less than two months, I would be Edward's wife.

It was almost unbelievable.

"Would you have believed it a year ago? That I'd be getting married to Edward Cullen?"

She snorted. "Fuck no. If you'd asked me a year ago, I would have said you'd still be standing behind the counter at the shop drooling over a stranger like a love-sick puppy. I never thought you'd manage to go on a date with him, much less marry him."

I shot her a glare.

She chuckled.

"I'm just glad you are," Emmett said. "I have a new best friend, and VIP tickets to see every Twilight home game next year. I'm stoked."

I rolled my eyes, _again._ "I'm so glad it worked out for you."

He wiggled his eyebrows, stood up and stretched his arms over his head. "I need to take a leak before the period starts."

I watched him walk out of the room and then turned to Rose. "Are you doing okay? You need anything?"

She rubbed her palms over her big belly, a small smile turning up her lips. "I'm perfect. I'm just feeling guilty you aren't at the game. Are you sure you did the right thing?"

For the one millionth time, I told her yes. I was fine being home.

"So you never finished telling me what happened with Edward's sister. Has she talked to Edward yet?"

I pulled my legs up underneath me on and the couch and shifted so I was facing her. The never-ending saga of Alice was once again fucking everything up.

"So, turns out, she's not pregnant."

Rosalie's eyes bulged out of her head. "No!"

"Yeah. False alarm. False positive. Whatever. She said her doctor told her it could have been stress. Honestly? I think she lied through her big white teeth."

"No way," she breathed. "Why would she do that? I mean, you said she was kind of bitchy, but this is next-level shit. Who does that?"

I shrugged. "Apparently her. She was adamant. She swore she was pregnant. I do think she was banging her ex-boyfriend slash boss. But I think she was so sure he was going to leave his wife, and when he didn't, she went with plan B. Which, obvs didn't work out either."

"How in the world is she related to Edward? Even his dick of a cheater brother isn't this bad."

I turned back to the game, just as Emmett walked back in the room. They'd just taken the ice again, so I flipped back on the couch and waved at Rosalie. "To be continued."

Honestly, I was glad the game was back, and I could concentrate on Edward and nothing else. I'd been troubled my Alice and her problems, and the problems she was causing everyone else for weeks. Long before I came home.

Esme was having a tough time with all of it, and it made me want to bury Alice. Didn't she understand how lucky she was to have the family she had? The supportive and loving mother Esme was? That spoiled little bitch had no idea. She didn't appreciate shit.

The temptation to leave her out of my wedding was strong. Mostly because I really couldn't stand her at all. But also, because I wasn't sure she wouldn't be in competition with Renee in the ruining of the entire thing.

She was vindictive enough to do it.

"Stevenson is brutal tonight. Edward said he's got a bit of an attitude, but he's a damn good right wing. He's quick. Smart."

I nodded. He looked like he was aggressive, but as I was finding out, that was a good thing in hockey. The fight for the puck was serious business.

"He's been mentoring him. That's what he told me. The guy has a giant chip on his shoulder, but the team management and the asshole coach make it worse."

Edward was officially, completely, and genuinely done with Twilight. He'd planned on sticking with the contract he had with them until it was up but had decided it was time to throw his name in for trade. He was ready for a fresh start and a new team to continue his career in professional hockey.

"He's going to be traded. Aro screwed the pooch on this one. He loses Edward and Stevenson and from what I read, Williams is going to retire. The Twilight will be up a fucking tree."

I shrugged, keeping my eyes on the screen as I watched Edward check one of the other team's guys in the shoulder, tossing him into the side of the rink.

"Ooh! That was a good one! Did you see that?"

Emmett chuckled and grabbed the package of chocolate chip cookies off the table. I didn't know how he didn't get sick with as much food as he put away.

"He wants this trophy. Especially if this is his last season. Make his mark. There isn't a team who won't take him on for double what Twilight has on him."

I sighed. It was bittersweet. Edward threw an idea on the table, and it was one I had to admit wasn't terrible. Even if he stayed one more season with the Twilight, he wanted to sell his house and buy one in Illinois near his parents.

So, sooner than I imagined, we were going to leave Seattle, and start our lives in another state.

I liked the idea of being near his family. Loved it. But it was all so fast. It scared me a little.

"No comment?"

"Crap!" I spat as I watched Edward slide into the penalty box for the third time. "He needs to cool it. We've been tied too long. There's only eleven minutes left!"

Thankfully those two minutes he was stuck went by fast and he was out of that box and across the ice like a beast. In an instant after that, Stevenson flung the puck into the goal, so quick I barely caught it, and we'd officially headed into the lead.

"Yes, yes, yes! He's going to get that trophy!"

Rosalie groaned as a fight broke out between a few of Edward's teammates and several on the other team. I'd gotten used to the fights, and especially when Edward went all caveman on the ice.

It was hot as hell.

"My baby boy isn't playing this game with a bunch of Neanderthals."

Emmett scoffed. "Yeah, okay."

She rubbed her tummy and smiled down at it. "You're not going to play sports, are you, pee-wee. Nooo. You're going to help mama bake cookies."

I laughed when Emmett flew off the couch and pointed a finger at her. "You will shut your mouth. And enough with the pee-wee stuff. You're gonna give the kid a complex."

"Shut up," I snapped again. "Five minutes. Fucking argue afterwards. And it's probably a girl, so you're both shit out of luck."

The seconds swept by as I kept my eyes glued to the television in front of me. We were up two points, but as I'd seen several times in the past couple months, that didn't mean squat. A last-minute goal and things would shift. The pulse of the game would throb. The anxiety would rise.

My eyeballs bounced from the ice and the players hauling ass across it to the ticking clock.

And with my gut in my throat, I held my breath as the game ended.

And we'd won.

"He gets his freaking trophy! My man did it! We won!"

Emmett and I shared high fives, a big hug, and then I ran to the front yard, Gordie hot on my heels, and screamed at the top of my lungs.

"My fiancé is a champion motherfuckers!"

Twenty-seven hours later, Edward walked through the door. To our home. I'd watched from the window for forty minutes after I'd gotten the phone call from him when he'd landed at the airport.

I'd wanted to go pick him up, but he insisted I wait for him at home. He wanted to walk into his house and see me and his dog there waiting for him.

He'd barely put his bag on the floor when I launched myself at him, wrapping my legs around him and hugged him around the neck with every ounce of energy I had.

"You can never leave me again," I mumbled into his neck, squeezing tighter. "Ever. Ever."

His hold on me was just as tight as he carried me into the house, kicking the door closed behind him.

"Fuck, I missed you," he breathed out.

He walked us through the house, up the stairs, and into our bedroom, setting me down on the edge of the bed before he started taking off his jacket.

He looked tired. Gorgeous, and so damn tired.

"We're not leaving this room for the next two days."

I raised my eyebrow and pouted. "What happens in two days?"

If he said he had to leave again, I was going to rope him to the bed.

"I give my dick a rest. Because until then, I plan on living inside you."

* * *

**Thanks so much for reading.**

**I hope you are all okay and staying safe during these crazy horrible times. **

**I am thinking of you all and all your families. **

**Love much,**

**Jami**


	35. Chapter 35

Evidently, you can actually get sick of sex.

I hadn't had the luxury of every putting that thought into a full process before, because I hadn't had much of it. Not good stuff, anyway. And after the first time I'd laid eyes on Edward Cullen, I truly didn't think it was possible.

Because have you seen my fiancé?

After mind-blowing, endless, raw, dirty, fantastic sex for several days, stopping only to eat some Doritos, nap, and take sexy showers, I was ready to close for reconstruction.

Because my kitty cat was hissing.

So we'd spent time making breakfast together. We took Gordie for a walk to the park and threw balls for him to retrieve. We held hands and went grocery shopping. We ate lunch at a café and shared a sandwich and a bowl of soup.

Then we went home, put away groceries, climbed onto the comfy sofa, and cuddled and talked while we watched a few episodes of a television show we both wanted to binge.

It was normal and perfect and us. We'd finally gotten to a point where we could settle. There wasn't anything fantastic about the week that followed. It was more than fantastic. It was our future and we fell into step like we'd done this normal shit every day of our lives.

There were times in between where he'd have to go to work. There were a few media appointments, lawyers to talk to, meetings with the team, but they were few and far between. It felt good having him with me most of the time.

Week three of him being home, we went to meet with a Realtor. Which was scary, but necessary. I still couldn't believe we were moving. I was leaving Washington, probably for the rest of my life.

Would I be back? That was a huge yes. My best friend and her baby would always be in Washington, and there was no way I was going to leave their lives.

I wanted to be there when baby McCarty flew into the world. I wanted to make Rose casseroles and clean her house and babysit her crazy husband so she could get rest. I would be there for the baby when he or she turned one. For every single birthday after that.

But my time in Washington would be a memory. It would be a place I knew once, where I'd been born. Where my mother left my father, where my father left me. I'd met my future fiancé here. My best friends. It would be special to me and always in my heart.

And change scared me.

"Shouldn't we find a place in Chicago before we sell this house? I mean, we'll be homeless."

Edward reached across the console of the truck and squeezed my knee. "We'll find something. Plus, we can always crash with my parents. I want to get the fuck out of here. Start living. Building our home."

Boy was on the fast track, and even though I trusted him with my whole heart, it was freaking me out a little bit. Everything was always no big deal to him. I wished so much I could go with his damn flow.

"What about an apartment? That way it's not permanent, but we'd be certain we have a crib to live in. You know, in case things don't go down the way you think they will."

He gave me a sideways glance and then turned his eyes back to the road. "I promise not to drag you into the wild without a crib, baby. Just trust me. It will all work out. I've got a plan. Have had a plan since you agreed to move."

I gritted my teeth and turned my head toward the window. I didn't like this one bit. I'd just gotten real cozy in an actual home. I didn't want to have to wander around. I'd been wandering for most of my life.

Did I trust him? Of course. If there was one thing about Edward, it was his reliability. He wouldn't fuck it up.

My neurotic ass couldn't find my chill, though.

"Living with your parents is fine with me. I just have a million thing on my mind is all."

He hummed and tapped his finger on the steering wheel. Which was annoying and something he did, I had figured out, when he was annoyed with me.

"The wedding stuff is going well, aren't they?"

I rolled my eyes. My little meltdown at the moment had nothing to do with the wedding.

The wedding, in fact, was coming along smooth as silk. Which meant a shoe was dangling from the clouds somewhere, ready to drop on my head.

"Yes. Did you remind Jasper and Garrett to go get fitted for their tuxedos? Your mom said that appointment is this weekend."

"Yup."

"Cool," I replied. "I think we're set then. So the wedding is going fine. Flowers, venue, dress, tuxedos, caterer, cake. All done."

"So why are you so stressed out? All we need to do now is get the rings."

Fuck.

The rings.

My heart sped up in my chest and suddenly every inch of skin on my body went cold. How the fuck was I supposed to buy a ring? I had an actual negative forty-seven dollars in my bank account. I hadn't worked in months. Edward provided everything for me, and my stomach sank.

I heard him chuckled beside me and clenched my jaw. We hadn't had one fight or argument since he'd been home, but I was about to flip the bitch switch quick if he wanted to taunt me about this.

"I have a ring. My grandfather's ring. I need to get it sized. We need to get your wedding band."

I pressed my face against the window and sighed. It was still messed up that I was so pathetic, I couldn't even get a ring for my husband.

"I need to get back to work. I should contribute more. I feel like a loser."

He hummed. "You contribute by being you, Bella. Don't start on this again. I want to take care of you. I want you to take care of our family one day. You don't have to work. If you want to work, that's another thing. Go to the bakery and help Rose if that's what you like. Work as a secretary. Get a job at the animal shelter. Mow fucking lawns for all I care. Go back to school. Whatever you want to do, I will support. But I want you to support me, too. And having you with me, with the ability to travel, that would make me happy too."

Times like these made me think about my childhood. My mother being the selfish bitch she was never worked, but she wasn't a mother either. I'd always wanted to be a mother who would be home when my kids came home from school, help with their homework, make them snacks. At least for the most part, we were in agreement about that.

But kids were miles away and I needed to have something to keep me busy other than my husband.

Call it a light bulb moment.

"I like helping at the bakery. And now, especially, Rose needs me around. But once we have kids, that's what I want, too. To be with my kids."

He reached across the truck again and rubbed my leg. "You sure get some crazy ideas in your head, you know? If I thought you were a gold digger, I wouldn't have bothered with you, Bella. I've had my share of that kind of woman. I knew you were wife and mother from the second I saw you. I want you to be happy, and I want you to be there for me. That's it. Don't worry about the money shit. By next year, I'll be making twice as much as I do now, and I want you to share that. Spend it to make our house a home. Buy shit that makes you happy. Pay bills. Wipe your ass with it. Hand it over to bums on the street. It's just money. I'm lucky I get to play with a stick and make a shitload of money doing it. It means shit if I don't have someone to share it with."

"I know," I said softly. "It's not that. It doesn't bother me that you take care of me. It makes me feel… taken care of," I said with a laugh. "I like it. A lot. But I want to take care of you, too. I feel like I'm a sucky housewife. I can barely cook, and I'm getting better at cleaning, but still, I sort of half-ass the bathrooms because I hate it."

Suddenly, the truck swerved, and we were rolling off the highway and through a part of town I didn't recognize.

"Where are you going?"

"First, we're getting lunch at this place you'll love. Greasy, cheesy fries and the best cheeseburgers in Seattle. Then we're going home. I'm going to bend you over the couch and fuck you until you have nothing to worry about, and then we're going to finish watching that weird ass zombie show. Now, call the agent and tell her we changed our minds. We aren't selling the house until we have a new one in Chicago."

I breathed out a laugh, my thighs on fire and my belly full of butterflies.

"You know, that sounds like a plan."

I unlatched my seat belt, slid across the seat, and ran my hand from his knee to his groin. He groaned and tightened his grip on the steering wheel, and I grinned into his shoulder.

"Thank you. I know I'm cray, but knowing the house is still there until we have a new one makes me feel so much better."

I gave his dick a squeeze to emphasize my gratitude. "I think this calls for a pre-lunch grabby-grab. Don't you think?"

I rubbed the heel of my palm over his pants, and felt him swell under my hand. His breath hitched and the truck jerked forward. I loved it when he reacted that way when I touched him. I'd never felt so powerful or important in my life.

"And you think you don't take care of me," he said through gritted teeth. "If the only thing you ever do is rub my dick for the rest of my life, I will die a happy man."

I smiled and lowered his zipper and went to work on his pants to pull him out. "Well, keep smiling, sweets. I happen to be very good at this. Maybe I can get my own trophy."

* * *

**Hi! Thanks so much for reading! I hope you are all holding up out there!**

**So this is a fun transition chapter and the wedding is up next so hang on tight! Shenanigans are coming!**

**I'm sad it's almost over. It's been such a happy experience reposting this story. I can thank y'all for making writing fun again.**

**Thank you xoxo**

**Jami**


	36. Chapter 36

**Chapter 36**

* * *

Appalled. That was the word the prissy little wife of one of Edward's fellow players used to describe my rehearsal dinner. She. Was. Appalled

Which, honestly, didn't really bother me because you want to know why? She wasn't invited to the fucking thing anyway.

I'd become friends with two of the women from the team. One girlfriend, and one wife. They were completely normal, not overly bitchy, and both of them liked me. So there was that.

But, just like most women, they loved to gossip.

My wedding had become big time gossip. And I was tacky and appalling for having my rehearsal dinner at our house instead of a restaurant.

First of all, I didn't get the whole rehearsal dinner thing anyway. Rehearse walking? Ridiculous. I felt like it was just another freaking task I didn't want to add to my list of eleventy thousand things to do.

But, it was a thing, and Esme planned it so whatever.

What that ho-bag hockey wife didn't know was that my best friend and maid of honor had a giant fetus growing in her belly and she couldn't be all out and about. There was no way I was leaving her out, even if I had to have an appalling dinner at my house.

No one cared. I mean honestly.

The only thing I was looking forward to was the bachelorette party. And I insisted on a stripper because I was tacky and appalling.

Note: eat shit girl-who-is-not-invited-to-anything. Shiny banana sling wearing boys included.

And that party was going to be at Rosalie and Emmett's house.

I'm sure she'd find all that appalling too.

Asshole.

But before I got to go to Rosalie's and eat tacos and have balls swing in my face with a tiara on, I had to dress like a respectable adult and sit down for a freaking interview with Edward and a reporter for some dumb sports magazine.

Since my fiancé was super hot shit—especially after the whole trophy run he was involved in—we were big news. There had already been a write up in the local newspaper about our romance, and now we were going to be in a magazine.

One day I was sure I would remember how awesome all this attention was, but a week before our wedding, I was pretty much a total and complete basket case and could do without all the hoopla and shit.

I headed down the stairs once I had my hair looking somewhat decent and found Edward leaning against the kitchen counter with a cup of coffee in one hand and his phone against his ear in the other.

Damn. He looked pretty in his black polo and black slacks. There wasn't anything he couldn't pull off. He always looked like he was about to shoot a commercial for cologne or million-dollar watches for some fancy photographer.

We were going to have some pretty babies. At that thought, my thighs tingled, and I pressed them together to ease the ache he always caused up in there.

Have. Mercy.

"Hey Carmen, I have to go. Bella's ready, so we're going to get this thing done before she changes her mind." He smiled over at me and I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah, I'll tell her. See you soon."

He pressed end on his phone and put it in his pocket. "You look beautiful. New dress?"

I looked down at the dress I'd gone out and picked up yesterday. It wasn't anything special, just a navy blue deal with a tiny gold colored belt around the waist. It fit me nice and tight, but covered up all the goodies.

I felt pretty and professional. Not like a scatter-brained barista.

"It's new. Just for today. You like?"

He nodded and moved toward me, a little smirk working its way upward on his lips. I loved when he looked at me like that. A little naughty and a lot in love.

"I should have bought a black one. We clash."

He shook his head and grabbed my hips once he was in front of me. "You're crazy. No one cares if we match."

I went up on my toes so I could reach his lips and gave him a quick peck. "Let's hurry up so we can get back home fast. I need to get ready for tonight."

He squeezed my hips and then kissed the tip of my nose. "Are you sure we have to do this shit tonight? I'd rather come home and be with you. We can kick everyone out and have the place to ourselves."

I wrinkled my nose. "Come on. It'll be fun. We can get rid of them on Sunday."

He growled and I let out a little laugh. It'd only been two days since his family had invaded the house and you'd think I'd withheld sex for a month.

And I hadn't withheld sex. Just to say. I set us on the PG-13 level, however, since there were parents and children in the house.

I grabbed my purse off the rack by the door and handed him his coat. "Don't act like you aren't happy about the strippers tonight. I bet you'll get some good ones."

He barked out a laugh and grabbed my elbow, leaning in to whisper in my ear. "I don't want any fucking strippers, Bella."

I huffed. "Well I do. We already set up rules, right? It'll be fun. As long as there is no ass grabbing or titty licking, it's all good clean fun."

Bree Tanner was a doll. It didn't even feel like an interview at all. She was cute and pleasant and didn't flirt with my fiancé like a common hussy like the other chick's who interviewed him did.

She was super professional and completely interested in our fairy tale. She wanted the story to be more about the us, not the hockey. I loved her instantly. It made it easy to open up and be myself, and she ate up our odd little encounter and whirlwind romance like it was candy.

Once we got back to the house, I took off upstairs to get into my party outfit. I was still in a great mood after the interview and couldn't wait to hang out with the girls.

Edward stood in the doorway, leaning on the edge with one ankle crossed over the other and his arms across his chest.

"What are you looking for?"

I chuffed and went digging in the next drawer for what I was looking for. "I can't find my pajamas. The one's Rose sent me to wear. I know I put them away."

He hummed. "You did. I took them out."

I swung around, slamming the drawer closed. "Come again? You took my jammies?"

He nodded and pushed off the door frame. "Yeah. You're not wearing those short-ass pajamas when there will be a stripper. Get those ugly green sweats you wear when you sleep with me."

I laughed hard. Jesus Christ. This man.

"I don't only wear those with you. I wear them with all my boys. They make my ass look fine."

I stood at the edge of the bed, on the border of laughing and growling. What the hell was his deal? This whole party thing was making him crazy.

"Just wear pants. I'm already not happy about the stripper. Just humor me."

I shook my head and let my eyes bug out. "Dude. Give me my pajamas. They are bride pajamas. I'll wear them to bed tomorrow night, okay? As long as the stripper doesn't rub all his sweat all over them, of course."

He ducked down and with his head into my torso and flipped me over onto my back on the bed. "This is a shit deal. We should have one party. I don't like having to spend the night here alone."

I didn't like being away from him, either. But, I was also super excited about a slumber party. It had become a thing for me and Rose over the years, and this was the perfect way to celebrate my last hurrah.

"How about this? We have our own slumber party tomorrow night. Okay? You can paint my toenails and I'll shave your balls. Then we'll do a sheet mask and watch Legally Blonde while we eat chocolate chunk chip ice cream. Deal?"

He laughed and flicked my nose. He flipped over and got off the bed. "I did the damn things in the laundry room. I see any pictures of that fucker straddling you and I'll find him, fuck him up, and then I'll fuck up his dad. Be a good girl."

Ha. In his dreams.

"I love you so much, future hubby. Especially when you're jealous."

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**Thank you for reading! **


	37. Chapter 37

**Chapter 37**

* * *

Rosalie was right. She knew how to throw a party. She had enough Mexican food to feed an army. Carne Asada, buckets of salsa, enchiladas with green chili sauce, spicy queso dip, buffalo wings,and freshly made corn chips.

Of course, she couldn't cook, so she had it catered by a restaurant she loved. And I was going to live on the left over food even if I had to have my dress duct taped together the day I got married because I was so fat.

I leaned back in the recliner, rubbed my full belly and let my eyes roam over Peter, the other delicacy of the night. Who I had to admit had the perfect name for a stripper.

Peter the pecker packer.

"So, Peter. I'm curious. How do you decide what you're going to wear to these shindigs. You just wake up and decide you're going to be a fireman and pull out your hose? Play the cop who whips out the baton?"

He laughed so hard, lemonade flew out of his nose. "God, Bella."

A true waste of the best lemonade I'd ever had. Rose had even put flower petals in the bowl. Flowers!

He wiped up the mess with a few napkins from the table and shook his head and went back to his seat. "Sometimes I get requests. Like tonight."

I swung my head to give Rosalie a dirty look. "Fucking Tarzan, Rose?"

She shrugged. "I said caveman, but whatever. Same thing."

Peter was as hot as they came, but he was no Edward. He was all smooth waxy chest and shiny penny nipples. His ass was high, and tight enough to bounce a quarter off, and I guarantee he spent about an hour and a half on his disheveled hair do.

But as soon as he stripped down to that loin cloth, I was done. I couldn't stop laughing, which caused him to glare at me like I was the dumbest bitch he'd ever met, and then fall into hysterics right along with me.

I was glad to say I'd had a semi-stripper experience, but I just wasn't feeling it. It was hokey, and Lord knew I loved hokey. But I wasn't one of those chicks who ogled men's junk on the internet, and had no desire to have his hang down in my face.

There was only one man's wiener I ever wanted to see again. And that was Edward.

"I was feeling the look. Until you had to laugh and knock my ego back to eighth grade."

I waved him off and plunked my chicken wing in the bowl of queso. Which, thanks to Peter, was my new favorite snack ever.

When he suggested we add a bit of buffalo sauce to the cheese, I almost came out of my seat. Now that was sexy. A man who knew his cheese. Right then and there, I knew what his purpose of the night had been. To invent a new cheese sauce specialty. Buffalo Queso.

"But, now that I know you're engaged to freaking Edward Cullen, I can't believe I wasn't asked to dress up as a hockey player."

I smirked. "No offense, Pete, but are you really suggesting you could measure up to my man?"

He rolled his eyes and hung his arm across the back of the sofa, over Esme's shoulder. She blushed and then caught my eye and giggled. She was having so much fun.

"Never. Just thinking that would have fit with the theme."

Rosalie laughed. "Oh, no. Caveman fits the theme. Trust me. Am I right, Mrs. Cullen?"

Esme giggled and tossed her balled up napkin at Rose. "It's Esme. I told you, honey. And you are right. Caveman suits. Just like his daddy. He's very territorial when it comes to his woman."

She shifted in her seat and then leaned forward, cupping her mouth like she was going to tell us a secret. "I know it's old-fashioned. But I can't tell you how excited I would get when he'd get that way. Whoo. The sex!"

She threw her hands up and leaned back on the sofa, her feet coming off the floor, and giggled.

My eyes bugged out and I looked over at Rose with wide eyes. Did I really want to know this about my in-laws? Honestly? Sort of. Esme was the shit. And I loved how in love she was with Carl. After all these years, they were still hot for each other.

I wanted that in spades.

"How long do you think it'll take him to get here?" Rosalie asked.

I wrinkled my nose and shrugged. "Depends on where they are. If they are already at that titty bar? Twenty or so minutes. If they're at home, like forty minutes."

Rosalie threw a thumb in Esme's direction and snorted. "Well, drunky over here is about to pass out, so you should go for it before it gets late."

Esme giggled again. "I can't help it. I'm so happy."

She was drunk, is what she was. She had demolished an entire pitcher of margaritas and was already eyeballing the six pack of Bud Light Emmett had in the fridge.

"Okay, come on Pete. Let's do this."

My wannabe caveman peeled off his shirt and came over to where I was spread out on the chair with my snacks like the queen of pigs, and straddled my knees.

"Lift the loin cloth!" Esme chirped from her seat on the couch.

I rolled my eyes at Pete and he laughed. "Please don't. I don't want the hulk, just a little bit of chest beating man action. If he sees your package anywhere near me, it won't be pretty. I already got him all riled up about this shit. I'm not taking it that far."

Rosalie and I had planned this little even for weeks. As far as Edward knew, we were having a raging night of debauchery and tasteless trashy fun.

But that was our ruse.

"I can't wait to tell Emery I got to be the instrument in getting Edward Cullen jealous. He's going to freak."

Peter and his boyfriend Emery were huge hockey fans. Even more than that, they were huge fans of my gorgeous fiancé. He almost had a full-blown meltdown when he realized where his job had brought him.

I laughed and slapped his rock-hard thigh. "Just stand still so none of your stuff touches me. Hold on."

Rosalie came up behind us with her wobble and her camera and with a smirk on her face, she snapped the pic.

"Freaking perfect. Timer starts right…" she said, clicking on the screen of her phone. "Now."

Peter stepped back, grabbed the shirt he'd taken off and pulled it over his head and then turned to look for his sweats.

"This is epic.," he said.

It was epic. And nerve-wracking. I was excited and nervous all at once. Our entire night had been perfect, and even though it wasn't your normal bachelorette party, it had been so much fun.

We ate until we were sick, laughed at all Esme's drunken stories, made a new friend, and hello. The queso.

I couldn't have asked for a better party.

"I need to go pee-pee before he gets here. I'll be right back," Esme said, hopping off the couch and shuffling toward the bathroom.

And then the doorbell rang three times and someone was beating on the front door so hard it sounded like a thirty man SWAT team was ready for a raid

"What the hell?"

Rosalie and I exchanged looks, and Peter's spine straightened.

"No way," she said with a laugh. "What was he doing? Sitting out front in his truck?"

A slow smile made it's way across my face and I shook my head. "Of course he was. That's my caveman." I gave Peter a look. "I told you."

"Esme!" Rosalie yelled. "Lock it up. Let's go. It's game time."

We heard the toilet flush and then Esme came barreling out of the bathroom, her pants halfway up.

"Already? What in the world?"

She adjusted her clothes and then went straight for the couch and took her spot next to Rosalie. Her cheeks were pink from the margaritas and her smile was beaming.

"Showtime!"

There was the sound of arguing on the porch, and then the sound of a key in the lock and then a few seconds later, my wild looking fiancé was standing in the middle of the living room with Emmett hot on his heels.

"Nice job, dodo brain. I told you we needed time to get ready."

Emmett gave Rosalie a sheepish smile and then shoved his hands in the pocket of his jeans.

"He can kick my ass. Sorry."

Edward hadn't said a word. He looked between us, and then at the object in the middle of the room and then back at me again, shaking his head. His fists were clenched tight at his side and his jaw ticked like he was seconds away from losing his shit.

He was fucking adorable.

"Surprise!"

I got out of the chair and walked toward him just as he took a few steps closer to the little white bassinet in the center of the room. He reached out and touched the soft white ruffle of the bedding.

The second I put my hand on his back, he spun around and yanked me into his arms and pulled me off the floor and whirled me around.

"I'm going to be a dad," he croaked into neck. "You're having my baby?"

I tried to swallow around the thick emotion clogging my throat but couldn't get a word out. I nodded against his chest and smiled when he burst out laughing and swung me around again.

"Jesus Christ. You almost gave me a heart attack. I was going to break that motherfucker."

"Glad you didn't, bro," Peter said from behind his.

"Look at my shirt!" Esme cried. "I'm the grandma!"

He laughed into my neck and squeezed me hard enough to crack my back. "When? When did it happen? How?"

Well, that was the dumbest thing I'd ever heard. It could have been any number of times we'd gone at it. We weren't always careful, which honestly, I never really bothered to think about. When it came down to us, sometimes we were just lost and isn't that the way babies were supposed to be made? In pure undeterred passion and love?

"I'm ten weeks. So it happened about ten weeks ago. Can't pinpoint when. We have had lots of sex."

"We're about to have some more."

He picked me up and headed for the door, ignoring everyone's hooting and chanting.

"Are you okay with this, baby? I know you wanted to wait until we got settled."

I was more than okay. I had a moment when I stared at the little plastic test when I thought it was going to be terrible. But it only lasted a moment. As soon as my ass hit the floor, I saw my little baby's face so clear, I couldn't imagining wanting anything more.

I was going to fuck up. All the time. I didn't know how to change a diaper or what the hell to feed a baby, but what I did know was that I was going to love him or her with a fierce love that they would never question.

We would laugh and have fun. We would cuddle and snuggle and read books together. I would bake them cookies and burn them, and then try for another batch until they had the perfect chocolate chip cookie to enjoy while they told me about their day.

I imagined the way they would wait for Edward to get home, peering out the window anxiously. The way his smile would light up the second he noticed the little nose pressed against the glass.

We were going to be happy. Whether it was now or in two years. Or five. Or ten. We were going to be so fucking happy.

"I have never been more okay. You have no idea."

* * *

**Thank you for reading!**

**Are you all surprised by the surprise!? I have been dying to post this one :)**

**AND HOW FREAKING EXCITED ARE WE ABOUT MIDNIGHT SUN?!**

**All I can say is FINALLY. And seriously, I'm almost glad she cockblocked us on this book. Because if she hadn't, I never would have gone searching for more Twilight and would have never found Fanfic and the community of ladies who have become so damn important to me. It literally changed my life, as I am sure it has most of you. And for that, I'm glad it took her YEARS to get this baby going.**

**So happy Midnight Sun day!**

**Hugs!**

**Jami**


	38. Chapter 38

**Chapter 38**

* * *

It was hot as hell in the little dressing room the venue had designated for me to get ready in. Also, there were far too many people up in there which made the heat factor crank up to one thousand.

And my mother decided to flit in like the wedding mother fairy. She was so close to getting a smack down. I couldn't stop clenching my fists.

"Can someone turn off this music? For the love of all that is holy. This is a wedding, not a damn ballet recital."

Kate walked over to the radio my mother had carted in with the rest of her crap and snapped the off button on top.

"It's ambiance, Bella. To relax you. It's beautiful music."

"Do I look relaxed to you? And Jesus. Get rid of that weed you're burning over there."

Sage. She brought sage and candles and freaking ambiance candles. Apparently, her newest man of the hour, some douche from bumfuck Arizona, was into a bunch of hippie shit. So of course my mother was way New Age all of a sudden.

"You're so nervous," she said through a laugh. "This is exactly what you need."

I stood from the vanity where I was sitting, trying my best to hold still for Esme while she tried to curl my hair, taking the curling iron with me as I crossed the room.

"I need air. It's fucking hot as tits in here and I feel like I'm going to puke. That crap is making me nauseous."

My mother gasped. "You don't think… could you be? Are you pregnant?"

I closed my eyes and hoped to God the other women would keep their traps shut. I hadn't told my mother about the baby. I would. Eventually. But I wanted to enjoy my wedding. And my pregnancy. All without her intrusion.

If I told her, she'd blab it to the entire world. Probably sell it to the National Enquirer for all I knew. I was still early on in the pregnancy and we decided to keep it quiet. Those who knew, knew. Everyone else would find out when we were good and ready.

"No, mom. It's hot in here. This dress is heavy, and I still have half my head uncurled. These fake eyelashes are sweating and dripping into my eyes. I don't want pit stains on my wedding day. Okay? I need a rest. Just a little bit. Please."

She sighed and then went over to her purse and took out an envelope. Turning to hand it to me, she closed her eyes and took another dramatic breath.

"I was going to wait and give this to you later. But I want to do this now."

I rolled my eyes. "What is it?"

"Just read it."

I took my seat on the little stool in front of the vanity and tore the envelope open. There was nothing on the outside to indicate what was inside, and I really wish there would have been.

My hand shook as I opened the letter and noticed the handwriting.

_Dear Isabella,_

_I'm sure you weren't expecting to hear from me today._

_I wish I was there in person to explain. But I'm not. I won't intrude. I want you to know that I always loved you. From the first time I saw your big brown eyes, I was in love._

_But I was not cut out for a family. My parents were shit, and so was I. I didn't do right by you after your mother divorced me. I was bitter and pissed off and I took that out on you._

_I should have tried harder, but in the end, I'm just a drunk ass. It's my own fault and I own that. I didn't know what to do with you. But that never meant I didn't care._

_I still do. I love you with all I've got. It ain't much. Believe me. You know it well, and that's the worst part of it all. You know I'm not worth a chance._

_I hear good things about you from your mom. I'm proud of you. I want you to be happy and hope this guy takes care of you. God knows I never did._

_Maybe one day we can sit down, and you'll listen to me. Let me explain myself and apologize. But I'm not going to push you. I'll still be sitting in Forks. When and if you're ever ready for that._

_I gave your mom some jewelry that belonged to my grandmother. Her wedding ring and a ruby pendant. She was good to me when no one else gave a shit. She'd want you to have those things and so do I._

_Congratulations, and I wish you a real happy life._

_With love, _

_Your dad._

I felt the tears run down my cheeks and let them go. The makeup Kate put on my face was going to be ruined, but there was no holding back the tears.

"When did you see him?" I asked, folding the letter in thirds, and slipping it back in the envelope.

"Two days ago. When I got into town. He met me halfway. In Port Angeles."

I handed the letter to Esme because I needed her to read it. I wanted to hear what she had to say. There wasn't anything I didn't share with her.

"May I?"

I nodded. "It's from my dad."

"Oh my," she said as she opened the letter.

It was a bittersweet feeling. I never thought my dad hated me or anything. I just figured he didn't give a shit. In the letter it sounded like he did—in his own fucked up way. If I'd had that letter in my hands a year ago, it would have meant everything. But now? Now that I had Edward and his parents and Rose and Emmett? It didn't mean much at all.

It was a token. A false hope. At the end of the day, when I needed him, he was lost in a bottle and a bad mood. Too bad his life sucked. Being his child, I inherited a shitty childhood from him, so tit for tat.

"Where's my jewelry?" I looked up at my mom, who was grinning, like she'd just won mother of the year.

Not even close.

"Oh, the necklace."

She grabbed her purse and dug around until she found the chain and held it up for me.

"It's beautiful. Delicate."

I took it from her and let it dangle in front of me. It was a heart, about the size of a dime, with twelve rubies circling around the hollow heart.

"It's really pretty, Bella," Esme mused behind me.

It was pretty. Something I would wear. I didn't know my great gran well, but she'd been nice to me. She died when I was six. I remember going to her funeral. It'd been rainy and cold and the smell of moldy leaves on the ground was unpleasant where we stood in front of her grave.

It was a shit memory. Like everything else about living in Forks.

"Where's the ring?"

My mom startled and then shook her head. "Oh, he only gave me the necklace. What ring?"

I narrowed my eyes at her. She was so predictable.

"His gran's ring. He mentioned it in this letter. A wedding ring specifically. I assume a diamond?"

I smirked at my mom and then looked back at Esme. God, I loved her with my whole heart.

_That is how a mother handles shit._

"Let me look. It was in a smaller envelope."

She went digging in her purse, her hands shaking and then pulled out a small yellow envelope.

"Well, what do you know? It's so small, it got stuck at the bottom."

Sure it did. She was such a bitch.

I snatched it out of her hand and rolled it between my fingers. It, too, was small. Delicate and gold with a diamond in the middle and a filigree band. I slid it on my right finger and held it up to the light.

"Kind of too little too late, but thoughtful of him nonetheless. At least I'll have something to hand down to my daughter one day. Something Swan."

"I wouldn't let him just show up here like he wanted to," my mom explained.

Obviously, she had no idea what the letter said. "He said he wouldn't come. He doesn't want to interfere in my life. It says so in the letter. He's showing me respect. And I appreciate that. What I don't appreciate is you going behind my back and telling him my business."

I handed the necklace to Esme to hold and waved off my mom. "Please. Go wait outside and take all this weird crap with you. I'm getting married in forty-five minutes and I can't deal with you right now."

"Bella," she said, taking a step forward. I held up my hand for her to stop.

"Honestly, I want to be alone. With Esme. Let her finish my hair. I'm not feeling well, and I want to get ready in peace."

My mom huffed, but she picked up her purse and left the room, slamming the door behind her.

Esme rubbed my shoulder and then picked up the curling iron to finish my hair.

The room was thick with the silence and tension but I couldn't find the strength to cut through it. She tainted every freaking thing. Everything.

"If she hadn't come up with that ring, I am telling you right here and now, this wedding would have gone down like a circus. I've been trying to hold myself back all day long. But that woman could turn a saint to violence."

I laughed. "I'm used it to. But the thing is, now? I just don't want to deal with it anymore. Especially now that bumpkin is on the way."

I rub my belly through the satin and lace of my gown and smile. Once I'm ready to tell my mother I'm going to have a baby, I'll have a set of ground rules for her. She doesn't get second chances with my child. She's used them all up with me.

"Hurry up with her hair, Mom," Kate chimed in. "I need to fix her makeup. I'm going to go check on the kids and I'll be back in a few."

She stopped to kiss me on the cheek and then rushed out the room.

"This is going to be the perfect wedding. Don't let all that get to you now. Everything is set and in line. There won't be one thing out of place. I promise."

I knew that. We'd had things in control—other than my mother. She was always the wild card.

I just wanted to get married already. I couldn't wait to see Edward in his tux. See the reaction on his face when he saw me walking down the aisle.

"Now, saying that, and after what your mom just pulled, I am hesitant to give you the gift from Edward. No more tears, or you'll be puffy and we don't want that."

I opened my palm. "Give it to me. I want to see what he got me."

I'd gotten him a pair of socks with my face on them. And a watch because Rose said I couldn't just give him goofy socks. But I thought they were fun, and he could wear them when he travelled so he'd think of me.

He'd love them. I knew he would.

"I'll call Kate and have her bring it in when she comes back."

**XXX**

I stood under glittering fairy lights surrounded by white lilies and a spray of gold fabric draped from the ceiling like a plume. All the chairs behind us, holding our friends and loved ones were wrapped with a lavender bow.

Once Emmett walked me down the aisle, toward my Edward, and my future, I had to pinch myself as I stood by his side. I couldn't believe it. Me, Bella Swan, was about to become a wife and soon a mother. That I would spend the rest of my life with the gorgeous man I'd fallen for before I even knew his heart was just as beautiful as his smile.

Edward held my hand in his, with head bowed toward mine and slid the ring we'd picked out together on my finger.

"With this ring, I take you as mine," he said, his voice throaty and thick. "For every day I am on this earth."

I looked up into his eyes and my breath caught. I hadn't heard a word the guy who was performing the ceremony said. My focus was completely on Edward.

Well, not completely. The ball of black fur at my feet wouldn't let me forget how cute he was or that he was my new baby.

When Kate returned to the room to fix my makeup, she brought with her my bride's gift from Edward. A puppy. A shiny, fluffy baby who would grow up to be as big as Gordie.

And I fell in love with him, and with my husband just a little bit more.

Esme almost had a cow when I said I was taking him with me to the alter. But how in the world could I leave him alone when I'd just gotten him. He was part of this, so he would be with me the whole way.

I named him sunshine. Edward would hate it, but he'd let me get away with just about anything. Including naming the dog sunshine.

I turned to Rose, and she handed me Edward's ring. I held his left hand and slid his ring on his finger and repeated the promise he'd just made to me.

"I now pronounce you man and wife. Son, you may now kiss your lovely bride."

He pulled me toward him, laced his fingers in my hair and kissed me until my toes curled. Every cell in my body went hot, and I held on to him for dear life.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," the pastor said. "I present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Edward Cullen."

The room went wild with whistles and cheers, but I couldn't have cared less. I couldn't take my eyes off my husband.

My freaking husband.

We'd come so far, so fast. I wouldn't change a thing. I'd dreamed of this happy ending. I'd never expected to have it all, but I had it. So much of it.

"You ready for this ride, beautiful?"

I nodded.

"Take me wherever you go. I'm ready."

**The End**

* * *

**So here we are at the end. I have an epilogue written and I want to write at least one more. I'll post the first one this weekend and write the other soon.**

**This is bittersweet you guys. I don't want to let go! **

**Thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading. Thank you for all the sweet reviews. You don't know how much I love them!**

** I have another story I started while I was writing The Man in Black and it's complete-but needs some major edits. But I will start posting that probably next week if my grandson doesn't make an early entry into the world!**

**Again, thank you for taking a shot on my words. Love you all to the moon **

**Hope you are all staying safe and sane**

**XoXo**

**Jami**


	39. Chapter 39

**Epilogue 1**

**One and a half years later**

* * *

You know how people tease about babies only eating, sleeping, and pooping?

Well… here is how my life goes.

Anton, the apple of my eye, the treasure of my life, doesn't like to sleep. He loves to eat, so my tits now hang to my knees and they are constantly sore and crackly and super attractive. My gorgeous husband used to get really into my boobs, but nowadays, the only time he gets to touch them is to rub salve on them. Carefully and quickly.

I promised myself I would nurse a full year. That was a stupid fucking idea. Yeah, it's great for Anton, but my body thinks I'm a real asshole. I'm weening him, but I think the little guy is going to fight tooth and nail—and did I mention he's getting teeth and he likes to nibble?

I'm either whipping out my tit, or wiping his ass. He is like a machine.

But, oh, Anton. This beautiful baby with giant brown eyes and long, thick, black lashes is a professional shitter. He has zero chill.

I'm so tired all the time. In love, and so happy, but tired. Dog freaking tired.

It's all the poop!

Today was the worst yet. I promised him, and promised myself, that never, and I mean ever, am I going to feed him sweet potatoes with quinoa.

Ever.

Never.

Again.

"How are you this beautiful and sweet and smell like a rotting possum all the time? How? Huh?"

He giggles and waves his bottle by the little trainer handle we started putting on them a few weeks ago. He doesn't like them much, but I want my sex life back, which means he has to turn the boobs over to his dad.

I finish rubbing lotion on his fat little legs and slide his pants over them. I could squeeze the chunks all day long. But his daddy will be home soon, and I need to get dinner started.

"Time for your bed. Your little star friends are waiting on you, monkey boy."

I put him down in his crib, slide his socks over his feet, and turn on the mobile before I flick off the light and go to the kitchen to get started on the food.

Since we moved into our new house, I'd gotten better in the kitchen. Esme helped, and by the time Anton came along, I was cooking food we could actually eat and enjoy without burning it.

Our new home is about as perfect as I could have imagined. We were only a few blocks away from his family, which was a blessing. I wouldn't know what to do without Esme popping in to help with Anton when Edward is on the road. And Kate had become my guru for all things new mommy.

I would have had a complete break down if I had been all alone.

We opted for a single story bungalow. The lawn was green and big enough for Anton to play in once he was a little bigger, and we didn't want to have to deal with stairs. Plus, it was nice to have us all together and the rooms close.

For now, it was just us. We wanted a bunch more kids, but later. For now, our little family of three was the best thing in the world.

I did miss Rosalie and Emmett, but we talked regularly, and they were even considering a move to Chicago. Edward had hired Emmett as his personal assistant, since Emmett was a computer savant and kept things nice and tidy in Edward's life.

I couldn't imagine things going any better than having my family, and my best friend all in one place.

I heard the front door open just as I take out the tray of chicken I'd had marinating all afternoon. I had no idea what time it was—I figured it was around late afternoon. But it wasn't dark yet, so that meant hubby was home early.

Of course, of all days, today he comes early. When the house looks like shit, I look like double shit, and the whole day was complete shit.

I cover the chicken with foil, throw it in the oven, and wash my hands so I can peel potatoes.

Edward comes up behind me, wraps his arms around my waist and kisses my bare shoulder. Instantly, I feel calmer.

"I like this surprise," he murmurs into my neck. "Is Anton asleep?"

I nod and then turn in his arms so I can see his beautiful face. I've missed it. This trip was only three days, but it feels like an eternity. I've gotten better with the trips he has to take for games. I still miss him like crazy, but I know he is out there doing what makes him happy, driving his passion, and providing for us. Still, doesn't mean I don't cry every single time he has to go.

"I don't think you've ever greeted me in your underwear before."

I realize I am standing in the kitchen in my panties and sports bra. It wasn't intentional.

"Oh, this wasn't the surprise. The butter and herb chicken and roasted potatoes were the surprise. I got shit all over me."

He jumps back and drops his hands. The look on his face is pure horror. I have never felt more sexy. The joys of motherhood, I tell you.

"I'm clean now. We just got out of the bath. Third blow-out today. Second shower."

He looks relieved, and a little bit amused. Then points out the window behind me. "What's going on in the yard?"

I turn and look at the patio. The highchair, two blankets and his belly pad and the mattress from the pack and play are laying out there—waiting to be burned.

"I threw them out. They're covered in shit. I told you when you called it'd been a shitty day. I meant it literally."

He barks out a laugh and I want to knee him in the balls. He'll think it's real funny in a little bit because he's on poop duty for the next two days while he's home.

"I'm sorry. Where is my baby boy? He's not asleep already is he?"

I sigh and press my hands against his chest. I truly wanted him to come home to a hot meal, a hot wife, and a beautiful, well-rested baby. He's tired, he's worked hard, too. I can't even pull off the easiest task. I should hang up my apron and join Housewives anonymous. Because I have some confessions to share.

I just nod. Yeah. He's asleep. And hopefully, not pooping.

"Why don't you go take a nap while he's sleeping? I'll finish dinner. I'll get this in the oven and come join you."

I close my eyes and sigh. I want to cry. I really do. I want to just fall in his arms and cry.

"He was human yesterday. I swear he was. We played and went for a walk around the neighborhood. Then, he ate all his food without spitting up, and he even caught on with patty cake and played along. Today it all went to shit. Again—literally."

He pulls me into his arms again, his big palms going straight for my ass. God, and it feels so good. What I wouldn't give to have a quick roll in the sack. I'm way too tired. I'm going to take him up on the nap, and if he comes in to cuddle, that will be awesome.

"Maybe he's teething again. Didn't my mom say that happens when they are cutting teeth."

I laugh into his chest and grip onto his shirt a little tighter. "I think she says that stuff so I don't feel like a total failure. She hates it when my feeling get hurt."

He rubs my back and then pulls away, leaning down so we are eye to eye. "You are not a failure. You're tired. That's all it is. You're a great mama. Anton is lucky to have you."

I was sure that kid questioned my skills on the daily. I saw him staring at me some days, trying to figure out what my deal was. We were learning as we went along.

"Go. Nap. And if my boy has any diaper issues, I'll deal with it. Deal?"

Oh, it was so a deal.

"Okay, I'll go nap, but I have one request. Put the chicken back in the fridge and come with me. We'll order food later. I want to snuggle. I really need to hug it out. I missed you too much."

He lays a kiss on my nose and smiles. God, that smile could get me pregnant again in a hot second.

"Deal. Go on. I'll handle this and meet you in there."

I wake up alone. The sun is long gone and I still feel like I've been through the ringer.

I get up and move through the house in search of my boys. I can hear Edward talking and stop right outside of Anton's room. The door is half open, but I don't want to intrude. They are having a moment, and I'd hate to butt in.

I can't see them from where I stand, so I lean on the door jamb and listen.

We'd had a lot of fun decorating his nursery. It was the first room we worked on when we bought the house. It was also the first room I'd ever gotten to decorate in any house anywhere.

When I moved into Rose's apartment, I didn't have money to really do anything with it. I had a bunch of junk. And I made it home—but it had always been temporary. Like a hotel room. You unpack, but you know you don't belong there.

I belonged in this house and it belonged to me.

And the nursery belongs to Anton. We chose it because there are two windows. One on the back side of the room and one in front. There is a huge Oak tree outside the front window and it's full of birds all day every day. I figured he'd like to hear the birds when he was laying in his crib, or when he woke up.

We painted the walls slate blue, and stenciled glow in the dark stars on them and a big green dragon on the wall across from his crib. I wanted dragons and stars because he was my fairy tale boy. My dream come true.

I figured Edward would have wanted a hockey or sports theme, but he got all into my dragon dream.

And it was the cutest little nursery in the world.

Perfect for my little Prince Anton.

"Were you giving mama a hard time today? You can't do that, little guy. Remember? I told you to take care of her while I am gone."

I hear a groan and know what he's going through. The poor baby is a shit maniac today. Freaking sweet potatoes. Screw those things. I am never giving them to him again. His body just rejects that crap.

"Jesus, man. You smell worse than your uncle Jasper."

Truth. He smells worse than a fifty-gallon drum of rotting skunk. And I have never been more in love with my husband for cleaning that up.

"Gah. Bughh. Fuck me, you're rank."

I press my fist against my mouth to stifle a laugh. Poor guy is dying in there. But he seems all in, so I let it go.

I just want to listen to more of their little talk. I listen quite a bit. I love the way Edward loves his son. How he talks to him like he's the best friend he's ever had.

The day I went into labor, I thought Edward was going to have a straight-up aneurysm. Every time I screamed or cried out, his hands would shake and his eyes would bulge. He actually grabbed the doctor by his collar at one point.

Yes, my sweet mild-mannered man went batshit.

He couldn't stand seeing me that way.

He apologized. He promised he would never do this to me again.

But he never gave up. He was by my side every second. Even when I thought he'd pass out. He bucked up and let me squeeze the shit out of his hand and punch him and cuss at him. He stayed strong and supportive.

And the second he saw Anton's head crown, I saw a look on his face I'd never seen before. It was utterly beautiful.

To give him that smile, after he'd given me the entire world was priceless.

Me, fuck up Bella. Doer of all the stupid things. Wandering brain and gutter mouth. I'd created a tiny, perfect little human. I'd given Edward Cullen, the man everyone wanted a piece of, a piece of me. And him.

Basically, I was magic. I brought life. No matter what, it would be the best thing I had ever, or would ever do in my life.

"There we go. You still smell, but you're going to have to deal with being a stinky kid for a while. I'm going back to bed with your mom. Maybe I can convince her to give you a sister. How'd you like that?"

My eyes bulge. Uh. No. Good thing I grabbed condoms when I hit Costco the week before. I was doubling up if he was going to make an effort in that direction.

We'd talked about getting pregnant again not long ago, but decided to stay a family of three for a while.

And after the craptastic day I'd had, it would stay that way for a minute.

"I love you, son. Sweet dreams."

Fucking. Swoon. Gah, when he said sweet things to this baby, I melted.

Okay. So no condom tonight. We'll just see if those birth control pills hold his sperm back.

Maybe I can accidently sort of drop those pills in the toilet in the morning. I don't know. We'll see how it goes.

I hear the click of the little lamp and scamper away from the door, but he catches me before I get to the door of our room. It's not a stretch, it's only eight feet away.

"Get in bed and wait. I have to wash my hands. And then I'm going to make you come."

"Okay," I manage to push out. "I heard you in there. You want a baby? Again?"

He bites my neck and then moves away, swats my ass, and opens the bathroom door.

"We'll talk about it. But, yeah. Anton wants a sister." He wiggles his eyebrows and walks inside and heads to the sink.

I follow because where the hell is this coming from. I'm tired. I am thinking I don't want to give up cheese and yogurt for half a year any time soon.

At least not after the day I've had.

"We can think about a girl. I want a girl. Maybe she won't make me puke or give me cankles. Maybe a girl won't smell like a rotting carcass."

He finishes washing and grabs a towel. He's smiling.

Oh. Boy.

"You didn't have cankles, and he smells more like a landfill full of rotting carcasses. I could picture a girl. Either way. I think we should think about it soon."

I hold up a finger. "Not tonight. I'm still on the pill anyway, but yeah."

He puts his hands on my shoulders and turns me back toward the hall and walks me to our room.

"We'll talk about it when the season ends next month. And when you haven't had a shitty day. Tonight, I make little mama feel good and get to get reacquainted with my wife. Now move it."

I climb on the bed and he climbs over me, peeling my underwear down my legs, but leaving my sports bra on. My boobie bottles are sensitive and the extra layer helps with mishaps. Been there, done that, splashed the hubby in the face.

He kisses his way over my chest, my belly, and just reaches the holy land when the monitor next to the bed lights up with a shriek.

"Not happening," Edward growls into my inner thigh. He's inches. Millimeters from where I want his lips, but Anton must know this as well because he's the Olympic cockblock champion.

"Give him a minute. There's no way he's hungry. He just ate. And I'm not sure there is a poop left in there for him to poop. Let him get settled. He'll go back to sleep."

Edward listens, and rubs his thumb over my clit. My back arches and my hips buck. I can feel the days tension slipping as he works me. He presses a finger inside and curls it just right and my legs shake. God, it's glorious.

My orgasm pushes its way through my body, and it's not easy to relax into this with the background screaming coming from the monitor, but damn. I need to get off. I want to hump my husband.

His lips cover my pussy and I break. The orgasm is fast and my body shakes with the power of it. I cry, fat hot tears fall from my eyes and a sob tumbles from my chest.

God fucking damn. I was as tight as a drum.

"That's it, gorgeous. Let it go."

His sweet words, and his pretty mouth. Is there anything better? I can't even think.

I come down and the room comes back into focus and Anton's screams are coming out sharp and shrill.

"He needs me," I say, pushing Edward's head away from my crotch. "I have to go get him."

He looks up at me confused, his forehead crinkled and eyes narrowed. "You said to let him cry it out. He's fine."

I shake my head. Poor baby. "I'll go check on him and make sure he's okay and then I'll be back. He could need a diaper change. I'll be right back."

He sits up and adjusts himself in his shorts with a frown.

He'll live. I've gotten really good at super fast diaper changes. I'll have him changed and back to sleep in five minutes tops.

But as soon as I open the door and see him holding on to the rails of the crib, pressing his pretty little face against them with those fat tears lining his face, I'm done for.

"What's wrong, little monkey? What's wrong?"

He takes a few gasp for air and reaches for me. I pick him up and the second I hold him against me, the whole shitty day is behind me. God, how in the world did I get so lucky? Stinky, poopy kid is so freaking perfect.

His eyes kill me. I would do anything for him. Anything. My whole world shifts when I see him. But when he smiles at me? All the way down to my toes I feel those smiles. My heart skips beats and my soul shines.

I wonder if my parents had that feeling when they saw me? I can't imagine ever putting anything before this little boy. My world wouldn't exist if he weren't in it.

I am so blessed to be his mother, and even when I fuck up, I will give him every ounce of energy I have. He will always feel it. Even when he's sixteen and hates my guts. He'll go to sleep knowing his mom loves him.

I adjust him in my arms and whisper in his ear while I make my way to the bedroom.

Edward is laying on his back, shorts shed and dick in hand when I walk in with Anton in my arms. His eyes go wide, and he pushes the sheet over to cover himself.

"What? What's wrong?"

I climb on the bed, lift the blanket, and settle Anton next to me. Smiling at Edward and the concern and worry I find on his face, I pat the bed for him to come closer.

"I couldn't leave him. He misses his daddy, too. We're going to cuddle instead."

He blinks twice and then waves his hand in front of his crotch. "Um…"

I roll my eyes and then nuzzle Anton's head. "Get rid of it and put on some pants. He's sleeping with us."

He doesn't argue. Instead, he looks over at the two of us, smiles, and reaches over to grab his shorts off the floor and pulls them on. Once he's dressed, he gets under the blanket with us, and moves close. Running a finger over Anton's soft hair, he kisses the top of his head, and then leans over to kiss me on the forehead.

"Since you're one ahead after this, and I'm never getting laid again anyway, I want you to throw the pills out tomorrow. We start working on my baby girl as soon as possible."

I grin and wink at Anton. He doesn't know what that wink means, but a little smile pulls up on his lips. It could be gas, knowing him, but I think he gets it.

We don't let him sleep in the bed with us very often. But after a day I can only describe as battling a war, we deserve this. I think we both missed daddy more than we thought.

"I'm on board," I tell him. "And guess what else?"

He props himself up on his elbow and raises an eyebrow. "What else?"

I rub circles on Anton's back as his little murmurs start to slow. "I'm really lucky that you walked into Rose's coffee shop to buy coffee."

He smirks. "I didn't go for the coffee."

"It was the lemon muffins, after all, wasn't it?"

He pushes his arm under my back and brings me closer and pulls Anton into the crook of his arm. "No. It was you. It was always you, Bella."

**The End**

* * *

**Thank you, thank you, thank you for reading. **

**So sorry it took so long to post! I jinxed myself with my grandson coming early... He did! Jasper Donovan is in the house! Mama is doing well and his big brother is stoked to have him around. And Grammy... I'm so freaking blessed. There is nothing better.**

**I have another epi in my brain so I will work on that once I get my book to my editor at the end of the month. **

**Thanks for being patient and for reading and your lovely reviews. I have missed so many of you over the years and it feels damn good seeing you all again!**

**Much, much love.**

**Peace,**

**Jami xoxo**


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